The I^ural and Village 
Schools of Colorado 

AN EIGHT YEAR SURVEY OF EACH SCHOOL DISTRICT 

1906 TO 1913 INCLUSIVE 




By C. G. SARGENT 

Specialist in Rural Education 



COLORADO AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE 

FORT COLLINS, COLORADO 1914 

SERIESXIV NUMBERS 

Entered at the Post Office at Fort Collins, Colorado, as Second Class Matter 




Iflonograp'; 



THE RURAL AND VILLAGE 
SCHOOLS OF COLORADO 

An Eight Year Survey of Each School Di^ridt 
1906-1913 Inclusive 




By C. G. SARGENT 
Specialist in Rural Education 



COLORADO AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE 

Fort Collins, Colorado 

1914 

SERIES XIV NUMBER 5 

Eniered at the PoSofEce at Fort Collins, Colorado, as second class matter 



The Colorado Agricultural College 

FORT COLLINS, COLORADO 



THE STATE BOAUD OP AGRICULTUHK. 

(BOARD OF CONTROL) 

Term 
Expires 

HOX. F. E. BROOKS Colorado Springs, 191f, 

HON. J. S. CALKINS Westminster, 19ir. 

HON. J. C. BELL Montrose, 191T 

HON. WILLIAM HARRISON Ciifton, 1917 

HON. CHAS. PEARSON Durango. 191 P 

HON. R. W. CORWIN Pueblo, 1919 

MRS. J. B. BELFORD Denver. 1921 

HON. A. A. EDWARDS Fnrt CcUins. 1921 



EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE 

A. A. EDWARDS, Cluiirmun 
J. S. CALKINS E. M. AMMONS 



OFFICERS. 



CHAS. A. LORY, M.S., LL.D., D.Sc. . . .President and Act in (i Director of Extension Service 

S. ARTHUR JOHNSON, M.S Dean of Faculty 

C. P. GILLETTE, M.S Director Experiment Station 

L. M. TAYLOR Secretary of the Faculty 



Department of Rural and Industrial Education 

C. G. SARGENT Specialist in Rural Education and Rural School Visitor 

W. E. VAPLON State Leader of Boys' and Girls' Clnh^ 



Rural Life Betterment Series No. 1 






Rural and Village Schools of Colorado 

An Eight Year Survey of Each Distrid: 
1 906 to 1913 Inclusive 



TABLE OF CONTENTS 

Page. 

Foreword 4 

Introductory Statement 5 

The Survey 6 

The School Census S 

The Enrollment , 13 

The Average Daily Attendance i^ii 

Eighth Grade Graduates 2(; 

Length of Term 43 

Special School Taxes and Revenues 45 

Teachers and Salaries 51 

Sites and Buildings oS 

The District System 65 

Consolidation of Districts. '. 71 

Summary 89 

Suggestions for Improvement 92 

MAPS ITSED IX BULLETIN. 

MAP I. — Map of Colorado sliowing the dry land, irrigated, mountainous. 

and grazing counties 1'. 

MAP II. — School districts of Cheyenne countv 69 

MAP III. — School districts of Weld County 69 

FIGUKES USED IN BULLETIN. 

FIG. I. — Total eighth grade graduates for eight years in each tliird class 

district in Mesa county 28 

FIG. II. — Total eighth grade graduates, and those who did not graduate, 

all districts, Huerfano county 29 

t IG. III. — Yuma county, eighth grade graduates, and those wlio did not 

graduate, all districts 30 

PIG. IV. — Thirty-nine districts in Yuma county that had no graduates in 

eight years 31 

FIG. V. — Enrollment and eighth grade graduates, all districts in Las Ani- 
mas county 32 

FIG. VI. — Forty-one districts in Las Animas county that had no graduates 

in eight years 33 

FIG. VII. — Average enrollment and total eighth grade graduates in the 

1725 districts 35 

FIG. VIII. — Avera.ge daily attendance and total eighth grade graduates in 

the 1725 districts 36 

FIG. IX. — Special tax resources, and amounts used and unused 50 

FIG. X. — Total male and female teachers for 1725 districts, eight years, 

for sixty counties 58 

FIG. XI, — Building re.^ources and the amounts used and unused in tine 1725 

districts, eight year average 63 

FIG. XII. — Enrollinent and teachers in Appleton school 77 

FIG. XIII. — Enrollment and teachers in Cache La Poudre School 84 

PICl'URES OF SCHOOI; BUILDINGS, ETC., USED IN BULLETIN. 

PICTURE I. — Buildings worth less than $500 60 

PICTURE II. — Buildings worth between $500 and $1000 62 

PICTURE III. — Buildings worth more than $1000 64 

PICTURE IV. — Fruit vale School 73 

PICTURE V. — Fruitvale High School pupils 74 

PICTURE VI. — Fruitvale Transportation Wagon 75 

PICTURE VII. — Appleton School, three old buildings 78 

PICTTTRE VIII. — Appleton Consolidated School 79 

PICTURE IX. — Appleton's last year high school puoils SO 

PICTTTRE X. — Six abandoned l^uildings in Cache La Poudre district 81 

PICTURE XI. — Cache La Poudre Consolidated School 83 

PICTURE XII. — Principal's cottage, Caclie La Pourlre School S5 

PICTURE XIII. — High School Graduating Cla'^s. Cache La Poudre Sc'^col . . 86 

PICTURE XIV. — Foot Ball Team. Cache La Poudre School 86 

PICTI'RE XV. — Athletic Field. Cache La Poudre School 87 



FOREWORD 



The third-class school district is the unit of organization that our 
people have provided for the training of the children of the villages and 
of the open country of Colorado in the rudiments of reading, writing, 
arithmetic, history, geography and economics, for fitting those wlio have 
completed the prescribed course of study for entering the high school, 
and for giving all some understanding of tlie duties, privileges and re- 
sponsibilities of American citizenship. 

The importance of the third-class school district, judged from the 
standpoint of the work it is charged to do, is fundamental and its effi- 
ciency of vital necessity to our state and national life. The heavy bur- 
den of responsibility that it carries and tlie great importance of its work, 
are largely overlooked because we are accustomed to consider ratlier the 
small individual district with its comparatively few pupils, than the ag- 
gregate number of districts in the state with the many thousands of pu- 
pils that these serve. Judgment, too, of how far and how well the dis- 
trict serves the people, should be based on the work of all the districts 
rather than that of any individual one, and manifestly, too, knowledge 
of state conditions in the aggregate must be had by him who can justly 
criticise our rural and village schools or safely plan for their improve- 
ment. 

It was a growing conviction of the imperative need of more knowl- 
edge of our rural schools from the standpoint of the State as a whole, 
for guidance in plans for their improvement, that prompted the planning 
and carrying forward of a survey of all of the third-class districts of the 
State by our Department of Rural and Industrial Education. The dom- 
inant idea has been to learn just what kind of service the schools in the 
third-class districts are giving. Months were necessary for the collection 
of data and fully as much time for its study and analysis. Much thought 
was given to the method of properly illustrating various phases of study 
and earnest effort was made to show the method used clearly and to 
give the results of the various lines of inquiry thoroughly, accurately and 
in proper relation so that the people of Colorado might see the work of 
our rural schools in proper perspective and decide for themselves whether 
the boys and girls of the county are getting the training that will fit them 
for twentieth century service. 

The work of the survey has been a heavy task, requiring a great 
deal of individual and institutional sacrifice, but it was done gladly and 
cheerfully and the results are published in the hope that they may be of 
service to the people of Colorado in their great work of rural school im- 
provement and aid them in their elTorts to give better educational ad- 
vantages to the country children. 

CHAS. A. LORY, 

President. 



Introductory Statement 



No part of onr public school system, laiid perhaps no other field of educa- 
tiou, is receiving more attention at the present time than are the rural 
schools. This movement is not confined to any particular part of the 
country, but it is oeneral. A few states have completed very careful investi- 
gations, and as a result, have already changed their rural school systems. 
Otters are uow in the midst of the work, while most all of the remainder 
of the states are actively planning such campaigns. The more carefully the 
subject is studied and the more thorough the investigation, the worse con- 
ditions are found to be, and even those best informed on this subject oau 
hardly believe that the rural school is the laggard that all these investiga- 
tions show it to be. 

The National Government, some of the states, educational associations, 
business orgianizations, and private individuals are now engaged in the work. 
Much valuable information on this subject ?s now available, and much good 
has already been accomplished, all of whi''h seems to point the way to 
better things for the boys and girls who live in the country. 

This movement began to assume definite form in several counties in 
Colorado in 1009. At that time a survey of all the schools of Mesa county 
was begun, to ascertain as fully and completely as possible the true con- 
dition of the rural schools of that county. All the schools had been vis- 
ited and everything that would indicate efficiency or the lack of it was 
carefully studied, and from all available sources of information some of 
those in charge of the work were firmly convinced that these schools were 
not doing for the country children as much as they should and could do. 
Just from observation it was quite apparent that many of those of school 
age in each district did not enroll in school at all. Many of those who did 
enroll were irregular in attendance, while many of those in regular attend- 
ance did not complete the course offered in tiie schools. 

The records of these schools were next examined to see what light they 
might throw on the subject l)y giving the past history of these schools. At 
first only a few items were studied, and those only for the previous year, 
but gradually the field of investigation grew and was carried back year 
after year, until the preceding eight years were covered, and all the items 
of record were included. When the facts thus obtained were made known, 
there were many in the county who arose to defend "The system that had 
produced so many illustrious men and women, and had otherwise seiwed the 
state and nation for more than a century." V^hen a movement was started 
to reorganize some of the districts where conditions were most favorable, 
bitter and determined opposition arose. Few movements within the history 
0^ the country have aroused more interest, rr provoked more discussion. 
A few districts were consolidated. The matter was carried into the courts. 



6 COLORADO AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE 

and the litigation did not cease for two years, or until the cases were decided 
by the State Supreme Court or the State Board of Education. 

At this point, the State Agricultural College took up the investigation 
and eight representative couuties were selected for investigation, and when 
the evidence was all in it was found that conditions were fully as bad, or 
even worse, than in Mesa County. Several of those were among the 
wealthiest and most progressive counties in the State, and even the educators 
themselves were slow to believe that the schools were so inefficient. 

When the survey of the eight counties was completed, a well defined 
niovement for rural school improvement was well under way, under the 
general direction of the Colorado Teachers' Association. Many of the lead- 
ing educators of the state, including those connected with the state educa- 
ticnal institutions, city and county superintendents, teachers, and others 
w^ere interested in the work. It seemed necessary to have all of the facts 
bearing upon the subject to most intelligently carry on the work, and the 
State Agricultural College undertook the stupendous task of completing an 
eight-year survey for the whole state. There were 62 counties, and more 
than 1800 school districts covered by the investigation, and it required ?>fiOO 
typewritten pages to contain the tabulated! data alone. 

This bulletin gives in a greatly condensed and summarized form the 
most important facts disclosed by the survey. 

THE SURVEY 

A brief description of the public school system of Colorado is necessary 
for a clear understanding of the survey. The school district is the unit 
for all school purposes. The district boundaries are arbitrarily made by the 
people who make the new district, and are arbitrarily changed when the 
district is divided by a dissatisfied faction tliat wants a "school of its own." 
There is no uniformity as to size and area f.nd they vary in this respect 
from one and a quarter sections to thirty townships. 

They are classified according to law as first, second, and third class dis- 
tricts, the classification being based wholly upon the school census of each 
district. Districts that have on their census list 1000 or more children 
between the ages of six and twenty-one years, are classified as districts of 
the first class; those with from 350 to 1000 as districts of the second class; 
while all districts with a school census of less than 350 are classed as third- 
class districts. According to this classification all districts of the third class 
may be considered as rural schools, although the schools may be located in 
small towns and have from one to as many as eight teachers employed in 
the same building. 

While the survey is complete for all school districts in the state, yet the 
facts and figures here given relate only to districts that have a school census 
of fewer than 350 children between the ages of six and twenty-one years, or 
third class districts only. There are 1725 different districts covered by this 
survey. Each of these districts has a school board of three members, elected 
by the people, for terms of three years, the term of one director expiring 



COLORADO RURAL AND VILLAGE SCHOOLS 7 

oach year. This board possesses almost absolute power in the conduct of 
its school or schools. Or it mi.siht be more correct to say that it possesses 
all the power and authority conferred by Vdw for that purpose, and no 
authority outside the district possesses move than advisory power in the 
management of the schools. 

One of the many duties imposed upon this l»oard is that of making an 
Annual Report to the County Superintendent of Schools on or before the 
first day of August of each year. This report is required under a penalty 
of $100.00, and its correctness nmst be sworn to when it is filed with the 
superintendent. The blanks are provided by the State Superintendent and 
are uniform in all of the districts. The city of Denver uses the same form 
as the smallest country school. From these reports, the County Superin- 
tendent makes an Annual Report to the Stace Superintendent. It is well 
to bear in mind that these reports are made for the entire district as a unit, 
\vhether it maintains one or many different schools. The facts thus given 
sliow what the district organization as a unit in our school system has done 
for the education of its children in any given year. 

It is from the County Sui>erintendent's report to the State Superintend- 
ent that this survey was made. This report includes all items of record, 
such as the personal statistics of the school proper, the kind of Iniilding, its 
condition, value and equipment, and a complete financial statement. It is a 
fairly complete quantitative report of the educational activities of the dis- 
trict, and the completeness and correctness with which these reports have 
been made, is, with but few exceptions, highly complimentary to the County 
Superintendents of the state. 

Forms, such as those found on pages 41, -12, 4.*^,. 44, 4.5. 40 and 47. were 
used for tabulating the data so that each item could be placed in a column 
l)y itself and the result compared with like items from other disti'icts in 
the same county and other counties. Then the average or totals for each 
district as the case might be. were summarized for the third-class districts 
of each county, so that all the facts of one county could be compared with 
those of all other counties in the entire state, and last, the county averages 
and totals were summarized for the entire stt^te. 

Every possible means has been employed to make the facts given accu- 
rately represent the actual condition as found in the different districts and 
counties of the state, but absolute accuracy is not, and ciannot be claimed 
for them. The aim throughout has been to show conditions as they are, 
and not to try to prove some pre-conceived notion in the mind of the one 
\Aho made the investigation. It has been conducted as much for the pur- 
pose of finding the strong points of the system as of revealing its weak- 
nesses, and it is confidently believed that the figures given are reliable for 
(ho purposes for which they are used. At least it is quite apparent to any 
one widely acquainted with the schools in this state that if these figures and 
the conclusions drawn from them are incorrect, it is because they fall short 
of showing conditions as bad as they really exist, for after all, many of the 
most vital facts showing efficiency are not. and cannot be made a matter 
at record. 



s coLOh'ADo AGRicrr/rruMj collpjoe 

It will be well to reiieat that this is an iuvestiijatioii uf the school district 
as a unit in our educational system, and not of the one or more scliools 
therein maintained. The district is the or.i^anizcd means ru-ovided by law 
for supplying educational opportunities within ils boundaries of which the 
school proper is the visible result. The 1725 different school districts are 
included in this survey, and their totals and averages are all considered 
togetlier, whether they had but one pupil and a one-teacher school, or ten 
one-teacher schools ; ^^■hetller tliey are located in a small town and liave one 
teacher, or eiglit teacliers in the same building, as some of them do. Tlie 
survey includes all scliool districts in Colorado that have less tlian 350 
cliildren between the ages of six and twenty-one years. For convenience it 
is arranged, as far as possible, in the natural logical order of the items 
investigated. The wi-iter has examined every item of the 1725 districts, and 
to further corroborate tlie facts found in the re<-ords. has visited loo of the 
districts in dilTerent parts of the state. 

THE SCHOOL CENSUS IN TIIIKD CLASS OISTKICTS 

The scliool census, as stated in a preceding paragraph, consists of all 
persons between the ages of six and twenty-one years, who are residents 
within the district on the tenth day of February of each year. Two counties, 
Denver and San Juan, have no school districts of tlie tiiird class. The 
remaining sixty counties all have third class districts, and tliese only are 
included in this survey. 

The figures here given are eight-year averages for eacli district, eacli 
county, or for the entire state, as the case may be. In some cases the dis- 
tricts were not in existence for the full eight years, since a few of the weakest 
ones were annulled during this iieriod, and others were organized between 
1906 and 1913. Yet the total number of such districts was not large, and 
the averages are for the full eight years, or such part of it as the district 
was in existence. 

While many states report poor I'ural sdiools and give as one of tlie main 
reasons tlierefor, the small numt)er of children in the districts, and their 
reports sometimes show several thousand schools with less than twelve 
pupils, and while some such schools are found in Colorado, yet that condition 
does not exist to a very great extent in this state. One district was found 
that had but three children on its census list and these were there for only 
one year out of the eight ; the other seven years this independent unit in 
our school system reported no children within the district, still it kept its 
independent organization, went through the formality of electing a school 
director eacli year, levied no taxes and spent on money for education. 
Evidently they were waiting for the stork to come along and help them out 
of their dilemma. Several others had an average of but one pupil a year 
for the eight years, but such districts are so few and the number of children 
affected is so small that they may be considered exceptional eases, for if 
they were entirely omitted from consideration it would make no appreciable 
change in the figures of any county. They merely serve to show the extremes 
to which the district system has been carried. It is not the imrpose of this 



COLORADO RURAL A\D YlLLAdlJ HCIIOOhS 9 

investigation to try to find a few exceptional cases a'ntl dwell at leugtli upon 
tliem, but rather to tind. if possible, rhe conditions that exist in the districts 
where 90 per cent of the children live and thus arrive at a more correct 
eonclusiou of average conditions in the third class districts of the entire state. 

There were 1725 third class school districts during this period, and of 
this number only 289 had less than tifteen children of school age. While 
this was 17 per cent of the districts, yet but 20 is children lived in those dis- 
tricts. This was only 3 per cent of the average census of all the districts. 
While there are doubtless more small schools than these figuresi show, as 
where there are several small one-teacher schools within the same district, 
yet when these are all accounted for. it is still true that when such schools 
have all been conduned they constitute but a small part of the school 
children of the state who live in third class school districts. While, on the 
other hand, there are 194 districts each of which had an average census 
each year of the eight of more than l(it> children. These districts had a 
combined census of ol,2r)4. or almost ?.s per cent of the average census. 
Table I. shows these two facts for each county in connection with the 
average census of each. 

In studying this table, the fad must be kept in mind that there is a great 
variation between the different parts of Colorado with respect to climate 
and occupations. There are the thinly settled portions in the (ireat Plains 
section in tl^e eastern part of the state, the still moi-e sparsely inhabited 
regions in the high altitudes in the mountains and the densely populated 
areas where the land is fertile, the water abundant, and climate favorable, 
where the farm unit is small and agrii ulture has been tarried to a high 
state of perfection. 

The average school census, each year of the eight, for the sixty counties 
was S2.171 children distriltuted throughout the state, as shoAvn in Table I. 
Each county is responsilde for its share of them, and the state is vitally 
interested in them all. Most of thcui live under conditions that are favor- 
able for good and etiicient scliools, and while some of them do live where 
it is ditiicult to have the best kind of s< hool. still it is the liusiness of the 
constituted authorities to provide for their education, since failure to do so is 
a menace to the state. When considered in the aggregate, the amount of 
money spent each year for the support of the schools in these districts seems 
enormous, but when considered and weighed in relation to these 82,174 boys 
and girls, their possibilities and the interests at stake, it 1)ecomes insi'j;niticant. 
This is a great army of boys and girls, the hope of the state, and approxi- 
mately one-eighth of them pass out of the reach and intluence of their 
schools each year and enter the ranks of men and women, prepared or un- 
prepared, for the truest happiness to themselves and the greatest service to 
.society and the state. It is often said that the rural school prepares for 
nothing. We will try to discover in the succeeding pages how well or how 
poorly the districts, the ( (tunties and the great state of Colorado have 
prepared for the education of the children as far as I he records of each 
district i-eveal these facts. 



10 



COLORADO AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE 



An Ei 



TABLE I. 
rht-Year Average. 



COUNTY 


1 ; 

1 Census 

1 
1 


Number of 
districts 

with less 

than 15 

cliildren 

each 


Number of 
children 
affected 


Number of 

districts 
with more 
than 100 
chil- 
dren 


Children 
affected 


WELD 


_ . _ 1 T.ri*>2 


5 


43 


21 


3,210 




LAS ANIMAS 


. . J 5.S15 1 


2 


27 


24 


3,689 




HUERFANO 


... 1 3,077 








9 


1,701 


LARIMER 


... 1 2,886 


3 


37 


5 


751 


YUMA 


... 1 2,836 


10 


117 


2 


386 


BOULDER 


1 ^.aan 


14 


111 


6 


952 




MESA 


... 1 2,532 








12 


1,708 


EL PASO 


... 1 2,243 


16 


148 


8 


1,162 


ADAMS 


... 1 2,145 


2 


19 


9 


884 


CONEJOS 


. . .. 1 2,119 


1 


12 


7 


1,203 


KIT CARSON 


1 2,088 


19 


126 


4 


578 


JEFFERSON 


. . . . 1 1 .952 


10 


102 


5 


789 




PROWERS 


1 1 .9!l« 


7 


70 


3 


591 




OTERO 


... 1 1,906 








6 


898 


PUEBLO 


... 1 1,833 


12 


115 


2 


418 


LA PLATA 


1 1,783 


1 


5 


5 


848 


ROUTT 


... 1 1,729 


1 


7 


4 


705 


ELBERT 


... 1 1,704 


9 


88 


4 


642 


DELTA 


1 1,643 








5 


854 


GARFIELD 


1 l.filft 


2 


20 


3 


457 




WASHINGTON 


1 1,606 


12 


124 


1 


179 


FREMONT 


1 i.nnn 


11 


96 


4 


820 




LINCOLN 


. . . . 1 1,551 








5 


789 


LOGAN 


. . 1 1 .52R 


9 


86 










COSTILLA 


1 1,363 


5 


40 


5 


661 


MONTROSE 


i 1,318 


1 


10 


4 


556 


ARAPAHOE 


1 1,306 


6 


57 


2 


420 


GUNNISON 


1 1,085 


10 


75 


2 


422 


SAGUACHE 


1 1,028 


9 


88 


1 


129 


MONTEZUMA 


1 1,009 








2 


367 


PHILLIPS 


1 949 


9 


77 


2 


284 


DOUGLAS 


... 1 920 


18 


167 


1 


181 


CHEYENNE 


1 871 





' 


3 


373 


MORGAN 


1 843 








2 


225 


GILPIN 


1 798 


5 


49 


3 


590 


RIO GRANDE 


1 797 


2 


20 








EAGLE 


1 770 


7 


51 








KIOWA 


1 727 





1 


1 


132 


SEDGWICK 


1 711 


12 


1 106 


2 


359 


BACA 


1 676 


4 


1 34 


1 


101 


RIO BLANCO 


1 642 


3 


1 31 


1 


346 


BENT 


1 614 


2 


12 








CLEAR CREEK 


.... 1 594 


1 3 


1 26 


2 


402 




CUSTER 


1 nns 


3 


1 35 










*MOFFAT 


1 54.^ 


1 


1 


1 1 


246 




ARCHULETA 


1 529 


1 1 


1 9 


1 1 


110 


CHAFFEE 


1 501 


1 10 


1 78 


' 





PARK 


.1 490 


1 8 


1 73 


1 







SAN MIGUEL 


1 474 





1 


1 


112 


OURAY 


1 a(t«i 


2 


1 23 


1 


118 




GRAND 


1 4«.<l 


1 3 


1 19 










SUMMIT 


1 440 


1 4 


1 27 


1 1 


195 



COLORADO RURAL AND VILLAGE tiVHOOLti 



11 





TABLE 


I. — Continued. 








COUNTY 


1 

1 

1 Census 

1 


Number of 
districts 

with less 

than 15 

children 

each 


Number of 
children 
affected 


Number of 

districts 
with more 
than 100 
chil- 
dren 


Children 
affected 


tC ROWLEY 


... 1 424 








2 


244 




MINERAL 


... 1 362 


3 


23 


1 


239 


PITKIN 


.1 asR 


4 


38 










TELLER 


... 1 33S 


3 


35 










tJACKSON 


... 1 2SS 
















LAKE 


. . 1 2SO 


3 


31 










DOLORES 


...| 188 








1 


104 


HINSDALE 


... 1 ISO 


4 


31 


1 


124 


TOTAL 


, S2.1 T4 


289 


2,618 


194 


31,254 









*Reported for only three years. 
tReported for only two year.s. 
^Reported for only four years. 



COLORADO AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE 




COLOh'ADO RURAL A\D VILLAGE SCUOOLs 13 

THE ENROLLMENT OF THE CENSl'S. 
An Eight Year Average 

Twenty-one of the sixtj- counties have no districts except tliose of tlie 
third class, and witla the exception of the county lii^h school in some of 
them, which is located at the county seat, there is no school for these children 
to attend but the one in their own district, unless they lio away from home, 
which most of them do who attend the county high school. Nineteen thous- 
and, one hundred twenty-seven children, or almost 25 per cent of the census 
live in these twenty-one counties. 

As stated else^^'here. the average school census of these 1725 school dis- 
tricts in the sixty counties was S2.174 for each of the eight years, while the 
average enrollment was only G4,o<S5. or IS per cent of the census. An average 
of 22 per cent did not enroll each year of the eight in the schools in these 
1725 districts. There is no doubt but that many of these children had not 
yet completed the elementary course and should still have been enrolled and 
attending their own schools, while others had ttuished the eight grades, and 
since their districts made no furthci- provision for their education they could 
no longer attend school unless they went away from home. 

It is true that some parents who live near town and city schools do send 
their children to the (ity high schools after they have completed the eight 
grades in the country schools, but at the most these could amount to only 
a small part of the 17.7^!) who did not enroll in the country schools, and it 
is reasonably certain that the great majority of these boys and girls are 
rapidly approaching manhood and womanhood with insurticient education for 
the daily demands of society and citizenship. So 17.7S9 boys and girls con- 
stitute "EXHIBIT A'" in this investigation, and indicate the first loss re- 
corded against the district system of rural schools in Colorado. It is not the 
intention here to state or imply that all of the districts can or should main- 
tain high schools, but simply to point out the fact that here are nearly one- 
fourth of the country school children of the state whose education is not 
provided for in the school system maintained for that i)urpose. In the great 
majority of cases the district makes no further ]»rovision for the education 
of its children after they have tinished the elementary course, and neither 
the county nor the state has as yel come to their relief with any adequate 
provision for it. 

Table II. shows the average school census, the average enrollment, the 
per cent of the census that enrolled, and the number that did not enroll for 
the eight years. The counties arc arranged in the ordev of the highest per 
cent of enrollment of the census. 



14 



COLORADO AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE 



TABLE II. 

The Census, Enrollment, Per Cent of the Census That Enrolled and the Averag 
Number That Did Not Enroll. An Eight-Year Average. 



COUNTY 


Census 


Enrollm't 


Per cent 
of Census 
Enrolled 


Number 

Who Did 

Not Enroll 


SEDGWICK 


711 


665 


93% 


46 


CHAFFEE 


501 


457 


91%, 


44 


LAKE 


250 


223 


90% 


27 




BENT 


614 


541 


88% 


73 




OTERO 


1,906 


1,679 


88% 


227 




MORGAN 


843 


734 


87% 


109 




PITKIN 


358 


311 


87% 


47 




CHEYENNE 


871 


745 


87% 


126 




MESA 


2,532 


2,182 


86% 


350 




DELTA 


1,643 


1,399 


85% 


244 




PROWERS 


1,936 


1,640 


85% 


296 
117 




KIOWA 


727 


610 


84% 




ARAPAHOE 


1,306 


1,083 


83% 


223 




EAGLE 


770 


639 


83% 


131 




LARIMER 


2,886 


2,393 


83% 


493 


FREMONT 


1,590 


1,295 


82% 


295 




LOGAN 


1,526 


1,254 


82% 


272 


OURAY 


465 


382 


82% 


83 




SUMMIT 


440 


363 


82% 


77 


BOULDER 


2,660 


2,163 • 


81% 


497 




GARFIELD 


1,619 


1,309 


81% 


310 




GUNNISON 


1,085 


876 


81% 


209 




LINCOLN 


1,551 


1,245 


80% 


306 




KIT CARSON 


2,088 


1,652 


80% 


436 i 




MINERAL 


362 


288 


80% 


74 


MONTEZUMA 


1,009 


807 
372 


80% 


202 


SAN MIGUEL 


474 


80% 


102 




TELLER 


335 


267 


80% 


68 




T\^ELD 


7,522 


6.039 


80% 


1.483 




MONTROSE 


1,318 


1,037 


80% 


1,483 




PHILLIPS 


949 


7.58 


79% 


191 


SAGUACHE 


1,028 


818 


79% 


191 




WASHINGTON 


1,606 


1,281 


79% 


325 




EL PASO 


2,243 


1,760 


78% 


483 




*CROWLB Y 


424 


326 


77% 


98 


HINSDALE 


180 


138 


77% 


42 




PARK 


490 


378 
2,184 
1,.349 


77% 


112 




YUMA 


2,836 


77% 


652 




LA PLATA 


1,783 


76% 


4.34 


RIO GRANDE 


797 


604 


76%- 


193 




ROUTT 


1,729 


1.307 
1,474 


76% 


422 




.JEFFERSON 


1.952 


75% 


47S 




DOUGLAS 


920 


690 


75% 


230 




PUEBLO 


1.8.S3 


1.381 


75% 


452 




LAS ANIMAS 


.5 815 


4.^20 


74% 


1.486 




*JACKSON 


258 


190 


74% 


68 




RIO BLANCO 


642 


475 
1.249 

987 "" 
427 
1 .525 


74% 


167 




ELBERT 


1.704 


73% 

72%" 

72% 


4.55 
376 
165 


COSTILLA 


1 363 




CUSTER 


592 




ADAMS 


2.145 


71% 


620 




CLEAR CREEK 


.594 


422 


71% 


172 





COLORADO RURAL AND VILLAGE SCHOOLS 



15 



TABLE II. — Continued. 



COUNTY 


1 Census 


i 

1 Enrollm't 


Per cent 
of Census 
Enrolled 


1 Number 
1 Who Did 
|Not Enroll 


GILPIN 


i 798 


1 570 




71% 


1 228 


ARCHULETA 


1 529 


1 373 




70% 


1 156 






GRAND 


1 463 


1 325 




70% 


1 138 


HUERFANO 


1 Z,W77 


1 2,127 




69% 


1 950 






CONEJOS 


1 2,119 


1 1,429 




67% 


1 690 






DOLORES 


1 188 


1 127 




67% 


1 61 






*MOFFAT 


1 543 


1 334 




61% 


1 209 


BACA 


1 67« 


1 398 




59% 


1 278 


TOTAL 


1 82,174 


i 04,385 






1 17,789 


AVERAGE 








78% 









*NOTE. — Crowley county was organized in 1911, Moffat county in 1911, and 
Jackson county in 1909, and the schools in these counties reported for ouly 
two, tliree and five years, respectively. 

The uveraye enrollmeut of the census of the different coiiuties varies 
from 59 per eent of the census to Do per cent, a difference of o4 per cent, 
between the counties having the lowest and highest enrollmeut, while between 
the different districts within the same county, the eight-year average varies 
from as low as 30 per cent of the census to even more than lUU peil cent 
of the same. This seemingly strange condition isi made possible because of 
the fact that residence within a school district for the school census takes 
effect as of the 10th day of February of each year, and after that date no 
account is taken of children who move into or out of the district, as far as 
the census for that year is concerned. So it is possible in this way for a 
district to enroll more children than those contained on its census list. 

Colorado has had a compulsory attendance law all this time, but there is 
abundant evidence that it has not been well enforced, at least it is certain 
that it has not been the means of keeping 17,789 boys and girls of school age 
in school who should have been there. This law was recently amended, and 
if it is now rigidly enforced, it will put practically all children in school, at 
least until they have finished the elementary course. 

Table II. shows the census and enrollment by counties for the sixty 
counties surveyed. In order to show how great the variation is between dis- 
tricts within the same county, two counties are selected for this purpose. 
They are Weld and Las Animas counties, aud they are not selected because 
of their low general average, for Weld ranks among the best, while Las 
Animas county stands far above the foot of the list on this item ; but they 
are selected because they have a large number of third-class school districts, 
Weld having 107 aud Las Animas 76. 

Table III. shows Weld county and gives the average for eight years of 
the census aud enrollment, the per cent of the census that enrolled, and the 
average number in the district that did not enroll each year. From this it 
will be seen that the enrollment of the census varies from as low as 27 per 
cent to more than 100 per cent, the average being SO per cent, for the 107 
third class districts in the county. An average of 1540 children of school 
age did not enroll in these districts each of the eight vears. To sav that 



16 



COLORADO . I (iiiicujyrvii. I /. ('Ojjj'](;i'] 



some or many of them had grafluated from the eighth grade does not give a 
satisfactory answer, for even if they had, they should at least have a high 
school education, or its equivalent, and the records show that there were no 
high schools in the third class districts, and that but very few of the children 
from these districts enrolled in the town high schools. 

TABLE HI. 



Cenf^us, Enrollment. 



Per Cent of Censu.s Eni'olled and Less in Eight Year.s 
Throuaii Failure to Enroll. 



Weld County. 



1 1 1 Per Cent 
DISTRICT 1 Average | Average | of 

1 Census | Enroll- | Census 
1 1 ment | Enrolled 


Av. Loss |Gain Where 

Through [More Than 

Failure | Census 

to Enroll | Enrolled 


District No. 104 | 29 | 40 | 134% 


1 11 




District No. 108 1 60 | 78 1 118% 


1 12 




District No. 77 j 22 | ' 26 | 118% 


1 4 




District No. 31 i 31 | 35 | 112% 


1 4 




District No. 64 | 105 | 116 1 110% 


1 11 




District No. 73 1 59 | 64 ] 108% 


1 5 




District No. 72 | 23 1 25 | 1087c 


1 2 




District No. 44 i 26 i 2S | 107% 


1 2 




District No. 70 \ 60 | 64 | 106% 


1 4 




District No. 21 | 42 | 43 | 102% 


1 1 




District No. 11 | 63 | 64 | 101%, 


1 1 




District No 102 1 -1 1 21 1 lOOTo 






District No 109 | 14 | 14 | 100% 






District No 45 1 29 1 29 | 100% 






District No 11 • j 43 1 43 | 100% 






District No 13 | 36 36 | 100%. 






District No. 34 ] 234 | 232 | 99% 


2 1 




District No 47 j 54 | 53 | 98% 


1 1 




District No 79 1 34 | 33 | 97% 


1 1 




Di.strict No 101 | 50 | 48 | 96% 


2 1 




District No 48 1 129 | 125 | 967o 


4 1 




District No. 40 | 85 | 81 I 95% 


4 1 




District No 78 | 41 | 39 | 95% 


o r 




District No 103 1 38 1 36 1 94% 


2 1 




District No. 66 1 38 | 36 | 94% 


*> ] 




District No 10 1 17 | 16 | 94% 


1 I 




District No. 100 | 43 i 40 ' U3% 


3 1 




District No. 35 | 45 | 42 | 93% 


3 1 


District No 38 | 15 | 14 |- 93%, 


1 1 




District No. 18 1 103 1 96 | 93% 


7 1 




District No 60 | 74 1 66 | 89% 


8 1 




District No 8 | 242 | 216 | 89% 


26 1 




District No. 12 | 28 | 25 | 89% 


3 1 




District No. 67 | 101 | 89 | S8% 


12 1 




District No. 98 | 109 | 95 | 87% 


14 1 




District No 89 | 70 | 61 | 87% 


9 1 




District No. 46 | 56 | 49 | 87% 


7 1 




District No 2 | 33 | 29 | '87% 


4 1 




District No. 7 | 88 | -77 1 87% 


11 1 




District No 95... 1 61 | 53 | 86% 


8 1' 




District No. 30 •. 1 38 | 33 | 86% 


5 !• 




8 I . 




District No. 87 89 | 76 | 85% 


13 1 





COLOL'MX) RURAL AXD ] I hh.[(l I] ^SCHOOLS 



17 



TABLE 111. — Continued. 

Census, Enrollment. Per Cent of Census Enrolled and Loss in Eight Years 

Througii Failure to Enroll. 





1 1 1 Per Cent | Av. Loss |Gain Where 
DISTRICT 1 Average | Average | of | Through [More Than 
1 Census \ Enroll- | Census | Failure | Census 
1 1 ment | Enrolled to Enroll | Enrolled 


District No. 52 | 123 | 105 | S5% | 18 ■ ] 


District No. 56 | 87 | 74 | 85% | 13 1 


District No. (>5. | 182 | 154 | 84% \ 28 ] 


District No. 92 | 133 | 109 | 83% | 23 1 


District No. 84 | 67 | 50 | 83% | 11 1 


District No. 59 | 63 | 52 | 82% | 11 1 


District No. 97 | 87 | 73 1 82% | 15 1 


District No. 80 | 59 | 48 | 81% | 11 | 


District No. 5 | 153 | 126 | 81% | 27 1 


District No. 51 | 58 .| 47 | 81% 1 11 1 


District No. 99 | 30 | 24 | 80% | 6 1 


District No. 86 i 66 | 53 | 80% | 13 | 


District No. 27 | 99 | 78 1 79% | 21 | 


District No 9 | 62 | 49 | 79% | 13 | 




District No. 28 | 52 | 41 | 79% | 11 | 




District No. 32 1 63 | 50 | 79% 1 13 | 


District No. 39 | 64 \ 51 | 79% | 13 | 


District No. 50 | 102 | 81 | 79% | 21 | 






District No. 29 | 143 | 112 | 78% | 31 | 


District No. 62 | 59 | 46 | 78% \ 13 | 


District No. 76 | 162 | 126 | 78% | 36 | 


District No. 16 | 219 | 168 | 77% | 51 | 


District No. 24 | 56 | 43 | 77% | 13 | 


Distri.t Xo. 33 | 116 | 89 | 77% | 27 | 


District No. 15 | 246 | 184 | 75% | 62 | 


District No. 19 | 65 1 49 | 75% | 16 I 


District No. 71 | -68 | 51 ] 75% | 17 | 


District No. 90 | 69 1 52 | 75% | 17 | 


District No. 22 | 57 | 42 | 74% | 15 | 




District No. 53 | 65 | 48 | 74% | 17 | 


District No 110 | 89 | 64 | 74% | 25 | 




District No. 26 | 82 | 60 | 73% | 22 | 


District No. 49 | 64 | 46 | 72% | 18 I 


District No. 83... | 65 | .49 | 72% | 16 | 


District No. 61 | " 42 1 31 | 71% | . 11 | 


Distriit Xo. 94 | 7 | 5 | ' 71% | 2 | 


District Xo. 14 | 53 | 37 | 70% | 16 | 


District No. 20 | 136 | 95 | 70% | 41 | 


District No. 36 ' | 91 | 64 I 70% | 27 [' 


District No. 68 | 40 | 28 | 7oJ^o \ 13 | 


District No. 81 | 34 | 23 | 7&% | 11 1 


District No. 69 | 36 | 25 •■ 69% | 11 1, 


District No. 74 | 52 | 36 1 69% [ 16 | 


District No. 17 | 79 | 53 | 67% | 36 r 


District No. 41 | 9 | 6 | 66% | 3 \' 


District No. 23 | 101 | 64 | 63% | 37 1 


District No. 3 1 47 | 3£> | 63% _(_ ^'^ 1 


District No. 42 | 5 | 3 | 60% | ^ 3 I 


District No. 54 i 45 | 37 | 60% | 18 ]' 


District No. 57 1 33 | 13 | 60% | .10 ( 



IS 



COLORADO AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE 



TABLE III. — Continued. 



DISTRICT 1 Average | Average 
1 Census | Enroll- 
1 1 nnent 


Per Cent | Av. Loss |Gain Where 
of 1 Through |More Than 
Census i Failure | Census 
Enrolled to Enroll | Enrolled 


District No. 58 | 93 | 62 


62% 1 31 1 




District No. 85 | 68 | 41 


60% 1 27 i 




District No. 91 | 71 1 43 


60% 1 28 1 




District No. 82 | 39 | 22 


56% 1 17 1 




District No. 43 | 22 | 12 


55% 1 10 1 




District No. 25 | 43 | 23 


53% 1 20 1 




District No. 88 | 54 | 27 


50% 1 27 1 




District No. 63 | 8 | 4 


50% 1 4 1 




District No. 93 | 114 | 53 


46% 1 61 1 




District No. 106 | 258 | 115 


44% 1 . 143 1 




District No. 75 | 45 | 19 


42% i 26 1 




District No. 105 | 29 | 10 


35% 1 19 1 




District No. 96 | 29 | 8 


27% 1 21 1 


Average for each year of| | 

the eight | 7,522 | 6,039 


80% 1 1,540 1 57 





NOTE. — All of the figures here used are averages for each district, or for 
the entire county each of the eight years covered by the survey. 

Table IV. shows these same facts for Las Animas counf.v. Conditions in 
these two counties are quite different. Weld is one of the wealthiest and 
most prosperous agricultural counties in the state, where most all conditions 
are favoral)le for very efficient rural schools, while Las Animas is one of our 
wealthiest mining counties, where a large foreign element is present because 
of the mining industry. Yet on the item of enrollment the extremes are 
nearly the same in the two counties, while there is only 6 per cent difference 
in the county averages. Many other examples could be given, for there are 
sixteen counties with a lower average than Las Animas. But these two 
counties may be taken as fairly typical of the^rest of the state in respect to 
their enrollment. 



TABLE IV. 

Census and Enrollment Showing Per Cent of Loss in Eight Years. 
Las Animas County. 



DISTRICT. 


1 Cejisus 


Enroll- 
ment 


Percent 
of Census 
Enrolled 


Av. Loss IGain Where 
Through |MoreThan 
Failure to| Census 
Enroll 1 Enrolled 


District 


No. 


79 


■ ■ • 1 33 


30 


136% 


1 8 


District 


No. 


47 


• ■ - 1 38 


37 


132% 


1 9 


District 


No. 


32 


...I 141 


150 


106% 


1 9- 


District 


No. 


21 


. . . 1 119 


126 


105% 


1 7 


District 


No. 


28 


. . . 1 25 


26 


104% 


1 1 ! 


District 


No. 


13 


. . . 1 107 


111 


103% 


1 4 


District 


No. 


68 


. . . 1 124 


125 


100% 


1 1 


District 


No. 


72 


. .. 1 13 


13 


100% 


1 


District 


No. 


62 


. . . 1 22 


21 


95% 


1 1 








District 


No. 


50 


. . . 1 55 


51 


92% 


4 1 


District 


No. 


17 


. . 1 112 


101 


90. . 


11 1 


District 


No. 


75 


.. .| 20 


18 


90% 




2 1 




District 


No. 


55 


. . 1 1^6 


123 


90% 




13 1 




District 


No. 


35. 


. . . 1 19 


17 


89% 


2 1 1 



COLORADO RURAL AND VILLAGE SCHOOLS 



19 



TABLE IV — Continued. 
Census and Enrollment Showing Pei- Cent of Loss in Eight Years. 



Las Animas County. 




1 
1 
DISTRICT. 1 Census 

1 1 


1 1 Av. Loss 
Enroll- ; Per Cent 1 Through 
ment jof Census|Failure to 
1 Enrolled | Enroll 


Gain Where 

More Than 

Census 

Enrolled 


District No. 10 | 61 


54 1 88% 1 7 1 




District No. 67 1 115 


102 1 88% 1 13 1 




District No. 43 | 112 


99 1 88% 1 13 




District No. 30 | 178 


155 1 87% i 23 




District No. 33 1 44 


38 1 86% 1 6 




District No. 40 1 115 


99 1 86% 1 16 




District No. 69 | 81 


69 1 85% 1 12 


! 


District No. 39 | 21 


18 1 85% 1 3 


1 


District No. 26 | 33 


28 1 84% 1 5 


1 


District No. 45 | 59 


50 1 84% 1 9 


1 


District No. 41 | 260 


218 1 83% 1 42 




District No. 53 | 221 


185 1 83% i 36 




District No. 56 | 68 


56 1 82% 1 12 




District No. 63 | 176 


143 1 81% 1 33 




District No. IS | 219 


178 1 81% 1 41 




District No. 66 | 46 


37 1 80% 1 9 




District No. 49 | 34 


27 1 79% 1 7 




District No. 8 | 44 


35 1 79% 1 9 




District No. 19 | 29 


23 1 79% 1 6 




District No. 42 | 294 


231 1 78% 1 63 




District No. 46 | 39 


30 1 79% 1 9 




District No. 27 | 39 


29 1 74% 1 10 




District No. 37 | 33 


23 1 69% 1 10 




District No. 7 | 168 


115 1 68% 1 53 




District No. 60 1 47 


32 1 67% 1 15 




District No. 58 ! 56 


37 1 66% 1 19 




District No. 65 | 18 


12 1 66% 1 6 




District No. 59 | 178 


116 1 65% 1 62 




District No. 3 | 101 


66 1 65% 1 35 


1 


District No. 57 | 44 


29 1 65% 1 15 


! 


District No. 73 | 17 


11 1 64% 1 6 




District No. 36 | 28 


18 1 64% 1 10 




District No. 64 | 76 


48 1 63% 1 28 




District No. 15 | 102 


62 1 60% 1 40 




District No. 20 | 40 


24 1 60% 1 16 




District No. 7 6 | 52 


31 1 59% 1 21 




District No. 78 | 12 


7 1 58% 1 5 




District No. 29 ! 136 


80 1 58% 1 56 




District No. 16 | 186 


118 1 58% 1 68 




District No. 31 | 21 


1 12 1 57% 1 9 




District No. 34 | 57 


32 1 56% 1 25 




District No. 12 | 149 


83 1 55% 1 66 




District No. 25 | 88 


1 49 1 55% 1 39 




District No. 38 | 36 


1 20 1 55% 1 16 




District No. 4 | 117 


1 64 1 54% 1 53 




District No. 5 | 123 


1 66 1 53% 1 57 




District No. 14 i 26 


1 14 1 53% 1 12 




District No. 52 | 41 


1 22 1 53% 1 19 




District No. 70 | 25 


1 13 1 52% 1 12 




District No. 54 | 57 


1 30 1 52% 1 27 




District No. 2 | 53 


1 28 1 52% 1 25 





20 



COLORADO AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE 



TABLE IV.— Continued. 

Census and Enrollment Showing Per Cent of Loss in Eight Years. 

Las Animas County. 



DISTRICT. 


! 

1 

Census 


Enroll- 
ment 


1 Pe 
jot 
1 E 


r Cent 

Census 

irolled 


Av 

Th 

Fai 

E 


. Loss 
rough 
ure to 
nroll 


IGaiu Where 
|More Than 
1 Census 
1 Enrolled 


District No. 22 


... 1 72 


35 




48% 




37 




District No. 23 


... 1 96 


47 




48% 




49 




District No. 77 


... 1 32 


15 




46% 




17 








District No. 24 


. . . ! 41 


19 




46% 




22 




District No. 11 


... 1 41 


18 




44% 




23 




District No. 74 


. . . 1 67 


29 




43% 




38 




District No. 48 


. .. 1 33 


14 




43% 




19 


District No. 44 


. . . 1 34 


14 




41% 




20 




District No. 9 


. . . 1 48 


18 




37% 




30 




District No. 71 


. . . 1 14 


5 




35% 




9 




*District No. 80 


. ..| 19 1 














Total 


. . I 5„S15 


4.329 


|Av 


74%. 


1.506 


39 







THE AVERAGE DAILY ATTENDANCE OF THE ENROLLMENT 



The 17.789 children representius the avera.i^'e imiiiber who each .vear did 
not enroll in these 1725 districts does not constitute the worst showing made 
by our rural school system, for the 17,789 contains all of the eighth grade 
graduates, the "finished" products of the system, those who have completed 
the course offered by the schools in their districts. The average daily 
attendance of those who did enroll and thus came under the intluence of the 
schools makes a far worse showing. 

Table V. shows the enrollment, the average daily attendance, the per cent 
of the enrollment in average daily attendance, and the loss occasioned by 
irregular attendance in the different counties covered by this investigation. 
The counties are arranged in the order of the highest per cent of attendance 
of the enrollment. 

The county at the bottom of the list had an average daily attendance of 
but 51 per cent of the enrollment for the eight-year period, while the one 
at the top of the table had an average of 77 per cent. The difference be- 
tween the extremes is 26 per cent. Or, to express it in a different way, the 
county at the top of the list had an average dail.v attendance of the enroll- 
ment of twenty-six more children out of each 100 enrolled than did the one 
having the lowest attendance. This is a very material difference. It means 
that throughout the eight years the attendance was one-third higher in the 
former than in the latter. This is sufficient to make a great difference in 
the efficiency of the schools of the two counties. 

The eight-year average for the sixty counties and 1725 third class dis- 
tricts was but 61 per cent of the enrollment. This means that on the aver- 
age 39 children out of each 100 enrolled were out of school each day. While 
the average enrollment was 64,.'i85, the daily attendance was only 39,219. The 
difference is 2.5,171, which represents the number who were out of school all 
the time on account of irregular attendance. 



COLORADO RURAL AND VILLAGE i-;CllOOLH 



21 



Twenty-five IhoiisaiKl one hundred seventy-one is here marked "EXHIBIT 
P." and represents the second great loss recorded against the rural school 
system of Colorado. This is a more serious and more unnecessary loss than 
the 17,789 who did not enroll. In most cases, irregular attendance represents 
dead loss to the taxpayers, and untold injury to lioth the pupils and the 
schools. In the case of most of the children who enroll, their education is 
pro^•ided for and as much expense is incurred as if they were present each 
day. I^>uildings and equipment are jirovided, books are purchased, teacliers 
are employed for all of the children who enroll, and the cost of the schools 
is in no way lessened, even if -10 per cent of the children enrolled are absent 
from school each day, as was the < asc in one county during the whole eight- 
year period. Besides, it is impossible to estimate the injury done to the rest 
of the pupils ])y being held back and retarded in their progress on account 
of this irregular attendance. Aside from actual cases of sickness, there are 
but few valid excuses for absence from school, at least until the children 
have finished the elementary course, which four-fifths of the enrollment 
failed to do during these eight years. 



TABLE V. 

The Enrollment. Average Daily Attendance, the Per Cent ot the Enroll- 
ment in Averag-e Daily Attendance, and the Average Number Ab.sent each day. 
The counties are arranged according to the highest per cent of average daily 
attendance. 



COUNTY. 


i Enrollment! 


[Per cent of |Number who 

Average |enrDllment|were absent 

Daily |in average] on an av'ge 

attendance! daily 1 of each day 

lattendance! of school 


CLEAR CREEK 


1 422 t 


323 1 


77% 


99 


MESA 


1 2,182 1 


1,635 1 


75% 


547 


DOLORES 


1 127 1 


94 ! 


74% 


33 


GILPIN 


1 570 1 


418 1 


73% 


152 


BACA 


[ 39S 1 


286 1 


72% 


112 


MINERAL 


1 288 1 


190 1 


70% 


98 






MOFFAT 


1 334 1 


237 1 


70% 


97 


RIO BLANCO 


1 475 I 


330 ! 


70% 1 


145 


SUMMIT 


1 363 1 


251 1 


70% 1 


112 


TELLER 

CUSTER 


1 267 1 

1 427 1 


185 1 
289 ! 


70% 1 
68% 1 


82 
138 


GARFIELD 


1 1 ,309 1 


884 1 
462 1 


67% 1 


425 






DOUGLAS : 


1 690 1 


67% ! 


228 


CHEYENNE 


1 745 1 


493 ! 


66% ! 


252 






HINSDALE 


1 138 1 


92 ! 


66% 1 

66% 1 


46 
258 
378 


PHILLIPS 


1 758 1 


500 1 






ARAPAHOE 


1 1,083 1 


705 1 


65% 1 






EAGLE 


1 639 1 


418 1 


65% ! 


221 






FREMONT 


1 1,295 1 


841 1 


65%. 1 


454 


GRAND 


1 325 1 


212 1 
806 1 


65% 1 
65% I 


113 
439 


LINCOLN 


1 1,245 1 






BOULDER 


.. 1 2 163 1 


1,389 1 


64% ! 


774 


GUNNISON 


1 876 1 


557 1 


64% 1 


319 


.JEFFERSON 


1 1 .474 i 


950 1 
672 1 


64% 1 
64% 1 


524 
524 






MONTROSE 


1 1,037 1 






OURAY 


1 382 1 


246 1 


64% 1 


136 






PARK 


1 378 1 


242 1 


64% 1 


136 


ADAMS 


I 1 ,525 1 


t>50 1 


63% 1 


566 



22 



COLORADO AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE 



TABLE V. — Continued. 

The Enrollment, Average Daily Attendance, the Per Cent of the Enroll- 
ment in Average Daily Attendance, and the Average Number Absent each day. 
The counties are arranged according to the liighest per cent of average daily 
attendance. 













COUNTY. 


1 Enrollment 


1 Average 

Daily 
iattendance 


Per cent of 
enrollment 
in average 
1 daily 
Iattendance 


Number who 
were absent 
on an av'ge 
of each day 
of school 


JACKSON 


1 190 


1 120 


I 63% 


70 


PITKIN 


1 311 


1 197 


1 63% 


114 


WASHINGTON 


1 1,281 


1 803 


1 63% 


478 


COSTILLA 


1 987 


1 614 


1 62% 


373 


ELBERT 


1 1,249 


1 780 


1 62% 


469 






KIOWA 


i 610 


1 377 


1 62% 


233 


LA PLATA 


i 1,349 


1 835 


1 62% 


514 


YUMA 


t 2,184 


i 1,368 


1 62% 


816 






EL PASO 


1,760 


1 1,081 


1 61% 


679 


LAKE 


233 


1 136 


1 61% 


87 


PcOUTT 


1,307 


1 799 


1 61% 


508 






SAN MIGUEL 


i 372 


1 299 


1 61% 


143 






DELTA 


[ 1,399 


1 843 


1 60% 


556 






KIT CARSON 


1 1,652 


1 959 


1 60% 


693 


MONTEZUMA 


1 807 


1 487 


1 60% 


320 


PROWERS 


1 1,640 


i 972 


1 59% 


668 






PUEBLO 


1 1,381 


1 799 


1 58% 


582 


RIO GRANDE 


1 604 


1 357 


1 58% 


247 






SAGUACHE 


1 818 


1 474 


1 58% 


344 


SEDGWICK 


1 665 


1 384 


1 58% 


281 


BENT 


1 541 


! 310 


1 57% 


231 


CONEJOS 


1 1,429 


1 822 


1 57% 


601 






HUERFANO 


1 2,127 


1,205 


1 57% 


922 






OTERO 


1 1,679 


1 989 


1 57% 


690 






CROWLEY 


1 326 


1 179 


1 55% 


147 


LOGAN 


1 1,254 


1 691 


1 55% 


563 






MORGAN 


1 734 


I 403 


1 55% 


331 


LARIMER 


1 2,393 


1,284 


1 54% 


1,109 






WELD 


6,039 


3,291 


1 54% 


2,748 


ARCHULETA 


1 373 


198 


! 53% 


175 






LAS ANIMAS 


1 4,329 


2,299 


I 53% 


2,030 


CHAFFEE 


i 457 


268 


I 51% 


189 


Total 


1 64,385 


39,219 


1 


24,836 






Average 


. .1 




1 61% 









Table VI. shows tlie enrollment, the average daily attendance, and the 
per cent of the enrollment in average daily attendance, in the seventy-five 
third class districts in T^as Animas county for eight years. From this it will 
be seen that twenty-flve districts had an average daily attendance of more 
than thirty pupils throiighout the eight-year period. The average daily 
attendance in these was 1567, or 68 per cent of the attendance in the 
seventy-five districts. There were twelve districts in which the average 
daily attendance was between twenty and thirty piipils. These districts had 
an aggregate average daily attendance of 286 or 12 per cent of the attendance 
of the third class districts. Twenty-five other districts had an average daily 
attendance of between ten and twenty children and these account for 11 



COLORADO RURAL AND VILLAGE SVHOOLt< 



23 



per c-eut uiore of the average daily attendance, while the remaining thirteen 
districts had less than ten in average daily attendance, or only 4 per cent 
of the average daily attendance of the seventy-five districts. 

So we might say that only 4 per cent of the children in these seventy-five 
districts live in districts where the schools might be poor because of the 
very small number of children in the districts, while SO per cent of the 
average daily attendance was found in thirty-seven districts, each of which 
had more than twenty i)upils in average daily attendance throughout the 
eight years. 

The per cent of attendance of each of these four groups is nearly the 
same, being 53 per cent, 51 per cent, 56 per cent and 52 per cent, respectively. 
The number of pupils in the district does not seem to materially affect the 
average daily attendance in this county. 



TABLE VI. 
The Eni'ollment. Average Daily Attendance, and the Per Cent of the Enroll- 
ment in Average Daily Attendance. An Eight-Year Average. 

LAS ANIMAS COUNTY. 



Di 

pupi 


stric 
Is in 

stric 


ts tl 
avc 

r 
i 
t 1 
1 
1 


lat had thirty 
'rage daily at 


or more 
tendance. 


Di 


En- 
roll- 
ment 


|Av. daily 
[attend- 
1 ance 


Per cent 
of euroll- 
mentin 
av. daily 
attend'ce 


Dist. 


No. 


30| 


155 


1 114 


74% 


Dist. 


No. 


101 


54 


1 35 


65% 


Dist. 


No. 


421 


231 


1 145 


63% 


Dist 


No. 


631 


143 


1 84 


60% 


Dist. 


No. 


53| 


1S5 


1 110 


58% 


Dist. 


No. 


551 


66 


1 38 


58% 


Dist. 


No. 


151 


62 


1 36 


58% 
56% 


Dist. 


No. 


3| 


66 


1 37 


Dist. 


No. 


7| 


115 


1 63 


55% 


Dist. 


No. 


40| 


99 


1 55 1 


55% 


Dist. 


No. 


59| 


116 


1 61 1 


53% 


Dist. 


No. 


431 


99 


! 52 1 


53% 


Dist. 


No. 


181 


178 


1 93 1 


52% 


Dist. 


No. 


4| 


64 


1 33 1 


51% 


Dist. 


No. 


41| 


218 


1 108 1 


50% 


Dist. 


No. 


68| 


125 


1 63 1 


50% 
50% 


Dist. 


No. 


131 


111 


1 56 1 


Dist. 


No. 


291 


80 


1 40 1 


50% 


Dist. 


No. 


161 


lis 


1 57 1 


48% 


Dist. 


No. 


671 


102 


1 48 1 


47% 


Dist. 


No. 


691 


69 


I 31 1 


45% 


Dist. 


No. 


211 


126 


1 55 I 


44% 


Dist. 


No. 


17| 


101 


1 43 1 


43% 


Dist. 


No. 


32| 


150 


1 62 1 


41% 


Dist. 


No. 


55| 


123 


1 48 1 


39% 


25 Distric 


ts . 1 2,956 


1 1,567 i 


53% 



Di 
daily 
twen 


stricts 
attends 
ty pupil 

strict 


that 
mce of 

s. 


had an 
between 


average 
ten and 


Di 


1 

En- 
roll- 
ment 


1 

jAv.daily 
[attend- 
ance 


Per cent 
of enroll- 
ment in 
av. daily 
attend'ce 


Dist. 


No. 


9 


18 


1 17 


94% 


Dist. 


No. 


52 


<>«> 


1 17 


77% 


Dist. 


No. 


35 


17 


1 12 


71% 


Dist. 


No. 


14 


14 


1 10 


71% 


Dist. 


No. 


49 


27 


1 17 


63% 


Dist. 


No. 


57 


29 


1 18 


62% 


Dist. 


No. 


11 


IS 


1 11 


61% 


Dist. 


No. 


34 


32 


1 19 


60% 


Dist. 


No. 


38 


20 


1 12 


60% 


Dist. 


No. 


2 


28 


1 16 


57% 


Dist. 


No. 


54 


30 


1 17 


57% 


Dist. 


No. 


19 


23 


1 13 


57% 


Dist. 


No. 


60 


32 


1 18 


56% 


Dist. 


No. 


76 


31 


I 17 


55% 


Dist. 


No. 


28 


26 


1 14 


54% 


Dist. 


No. 


79 


30 


1 16 


53% 

53% 


Dist. 


No. 


24 


19 


1 10 


Dist. 


No. 


37 


23 


1 12 1 


52% 


Dist. 


No. 


62 


21 


1 11 


52% 


Dist. 


No. 


26 


28 


I 14 i 


50% 


Dist. 


No. 


47 


37 


1 17 1 


46% 


Dist. 


No. 


27 


29 


I 13 1 


45% 


Dist. 


No. 


74 


29 


1 13 1 


41% 


Dist. 


No. 


20 


24 


1 10 ( 


41% 


Dist. 


No. 


22 


35 


1 14 1 


40% 


25 D 


stric 


ts. 


632 


1 357 1 


56% 



id 



VOLOh'ADO AORICiLTURAL COLLEGE 



TABLE VI.— Continued. 
The Enrollment, Average Daily Attendance, and the Per Cent of the Enroll- 
ment in Averag-e Daily Attendance. An Eight-Year Average. 
LAS ANIMAS COUNTY. 



Districts tliat Iiad between twenty 
and tliirty pupils. 



An average daily attendance of 
less than ten pupils. 



Distric 


t 1 
1 
1 


En- 
roll- 
ment 


|Av. daily 
lattend- 
1 ance 


|Per cent 
|of enroll- 
[ mentin 
|av. daily 
lattend'ce 
1 "73%""" 


Dist. 


No. 


461 


30 


1 22 


Dlst. 


No. 


8| 


35 


1 23 


1 66% 


Dist. 


No. 


331 


38 


1 24 


1 66% 


Dist. 


No. 


581 


37 


1 21 


1 57 7o 


Dist. 


No. 


66| 


37 


1 21 


1 57% 


Dist. 


No. 


25| 


49 


1 26 


1 53% 


Dist. 


No. 


50| 


51 


1 26 


1 51% 
1 51% 


Dist. 


No. 


231 


47 


1 24 


Dist. 


No. 


641 


48 


1 24 


1 50% 
1 48% 


Dist. 


No. 


56| 


56 


1 -27 


Dist. 


No. 


45| 


50 


1 22 


1 44% 


1 1 1 


1 i 1 


12 Distric 


ts.| 


561 


1 286 


51% 



Distric 


1 

1 
t 1 

1 


En- 
roll- 
ment 


1 

Av.dailj 
attend- 
ance 


|Per cent 
jof euroll- 
1 mentin 
|av. daily 
[attend'ce 


Dist. 


No. 


78| 


7 


1 5 


1 71% 


Dist. 


No. 


31| 


12 


1 s 


1 66% 


Dist. 


No. 


70| 


13 


1 8 


i 61% 


Dist. 


No. 


71| 


5 


1 3 


1 60% 


Dist. 


No. 


481 


14 


1 8 


1 57%, 


Dist. 


No. 


731 


11 


1 6 


1 55% 


Dist. 


No. 


77| 


15 


1 8 


i 53% 


Dist. 


No. 


36| 


18 


1 9 


1 50% 


Dist. 


No. 


65| 


12 


1 6 


1 50% 

I 46% 
1 44% 


Dist. 
Dist. 


No. 
No. 


72| 
39| 


13 

1S~~ 


1 6 

1 8 


jjist. 


No. 


751 


18 


1 8 


1 44% 


Dist. 


No. 


44| 


14 


1 6 


1 43 7o 


13 Distric 


ts.| 


170 


1 89 


r~52%^ 



Table YII. shows the same facts for the 1U7 districts iu Weld comity, 
aud from this it may be seen that 70 i)er cent of the average daily attend- 
ance was found iu forty-seven of the districts, each of which had an at- 
tendance of more than thirty i)Ui)ils. Twenty-seven other districts account 
for 19 per cent more of the attendance, leaving only 11 per cent of the aver- 
age daily attendance in districts having an attendance of less than twenty 
pui)ils during this period. While it is frankly admitted that, some of these 
districts have several different one-teacher schools scattered over a hirge 
district, yet the figures from these two counties, and all the others as well, 
prove conclusively that the great majority of school children in Colorado's 
rural schools live iu districts and attend schools where there is a sutticient 
number of children to make very efficient schools. So, if the schools in these 
districts are poor, it is for other reascnis than scarcity of pupils. In a few 
cases, the average daily attendance iu the district for a year was reported 
as less than one pupil. One teacher reported an average daily attendance of 
eight-tenths, while another, probably more advanced in arithmetic, reported 
an average daily attendance of sixty-seven eightieths of one pupil. Mathe- 
matical accuracy is revolting in a case like this, but it is somewhat consoling 
to state that only thirteen parts of this child were unaccounted for thr(nigh 
irregular attendance. Other similar cases could be cited, but twenty-five 
children are not affected by all such cases. They are mentioned only to call 
attention to the utter absurdity of such districtsi being independent units in 
a school system of a great state in the twentieth century. 

Since -the census, enrollment, and average daily attendance wiir receive 
further consideration in succeeding topics, let us now pass to the sul).iect of 
wghth grade graduates. 



COLORADO in'h'M. I \ /> V I LLMl I] KC IIOOLS 



25 



TABLE VII. 

Districts ai-rang-ed aceordins' to largest number in Average Daily Attendance. 
An Kight-Year Average. 



Over 30. 




Between 
20 andSO. 




Between 
10 and 20. 




Less than 10. 


Dis- 
trict 


Av.daily 

(Attend- 
ance 


|.\v. daily 
Dis- lAttend- 
trict 1 ance 


[Av.daily 
Dis- lAttend- 
trict 1 ance 


[Av.daily 
Dis- [Attend- 
trict I ance 


34 


162 


19 1 29 


21 1 19 


10 [ 9 


S 


146 


26 1 29 


107 [ 19 


75 1 9 


15 


lis 


62 1 29 


30 t IS 


38 1 8 


16 


118 


39 I 28 


3 1 17 


43 1 8 


65 


95 


78 I 28 


31 [ 17 


109 1 S 


5 


91 


90 1 28 


79 17 


57 [ 6 


76 


82 


91 [ 28 


88 1 17 


96 [ 6 


106 


SI 


101 [ 28 


2 j 16 


105 [ 5 


4S 


72 


22 j 27 


69 16 


41 1 4 


52 


65 


51 1 27 


77 16 


94 1 4 


92 


65 


55 1 27 




81 1 16 


63 1 3 


OS 


61 


S3 i 27 




25 j 15 


42 1 2 


29 


60 


17 26 


44 1 15 


12 1 72 


40 


56 


47 1 2<; 


68 1 15 


1 —2-% 


20 


55 


85 1 26 


99 1 15 


' 


33 


54 


61 1 25 


12 1 14 




67 


52 


13 1 24 


45 j 14 




58 


49 


14 1 24 


54 1 14 




87 


49 


24 1 23 


72 1 14 




64 


48 


1 1 22 


102 1 14 




18 


46 


35 1 22 


82 1 11 




27 


46 


103 i 22 


21 i 329 




50 


46 


9 1 21 


I =9',r 




97 


44 


74 1 21 






56 


43 


100 1 21 


7 


41 


104 1 21 


60 


41 


66 1 20 




11 


40 


27 1 679 

1 =199'f^ 




89 


40 




93 


38 




110 


38 




108 


37 




36 


36 




59 1 


35 




23 


34 


47 of the districts each had more than .30 pupils. 
This was 70 per cent of the daily attencance. 


70 


34 


84 


34 


53 


33 


2i districts each had between 20 and 30 pupils. 


46 
73" 


32 
32 


These account for 19 per cent more of the attend- 
ance. 


SO 


32 


'11 districts each had between 10 and 20 pupils. 
These account for 9 per cent of the attendance. 


86 1 


31 


95 1 


31 


12 districts each had less than 10 pupils. 


28 1 


30 


These account for but 2 per cent of the attendance. 


32 1 


30 




49 1 


30 




71 1 


30 




47 I 


2>.63~ 






=70'rc. 





26 COLORADO AUR.IVU LT U RAL COLLEGE 

EIGHTH GRADE GRADUATES 

All Colorado rural schools are coudutted on what is called, aud supposed 
to be, a graded system. That is, the course is divided iuto grades of which 
the elementary course consists ot eight. Jiiach represents the amount of work 
mat each child should complete iu a school year, but in actual practice no 
allowance is made anywhere in the system for districts having terms of 
different lengths. Young and inexperienced teachers, with a six months' 
term and without any supervision are expected to advance all pui>ils a grade 
each year, just the same as city schools with well-trained and experienced 
teachers, under expert supervision and with nine or nine and one-half 
months of school. They not only attempt to do it, but they actually do it, 
at least as far as passing them to the next higher grade is concerned. 

It may be taken for granted that such a course would be designed for 
the average child, so that the great majority of school children could pass 
from grade to gi'ade each year, and entering school at tne age of six, as 
most of them do, they would pass through the eight grades in eight years 
and graduate from the elementary course at the age of fourteen. Now, since 
the school course is arranged on the eight-year eight-grade basis, one of the 
best tests of the efficiency of the system is the regularity and uniformity 
with which the pupils pass from grade to grade, and the thoroughness with 
which the work is done. It may be unscientific, but in actual practiec we 
measure education by grades, the standards for which are almost wholly 
determined by the teacher, or teachers in each district. It cannot well be 
otherwise, for there is practically no supervision of the rural schools of 
Colorado. 

Passing from the first seven grades is not a matter of official record in 
this state, at least it is not usually recorded beyond the teacher's record, and 
but occasionally there, but graduation from the eighth grade is a matter of 
official record, and the record on this item has been well kept throughout the 
counties of the state. P^ighth grade graduation signities the completion of 
the elementary course, and this diploma admits the bearer to any high 
school in the county, without examination. AVhile it is freely admitted that 
the requirements for graduation differ quite widely between the different 
districts within the same county, still it is true that one of the very best 
tests we have of the efficiency of these schools is the number of children who 
graduate from the eighth grade. It does fairly represent the best that the 
system has been able to do for the children during their first eight years 
in school. 

Because of the fact that no record is kept of those passing the first 
seven grades, it is impossible to determine what per cent of the enrollment is 
enrolled in the eighth grade at any time, but this is not altogether necessary 
for the present purpose, for we have a right to assume that approximately 
one-eighth of the enrollment should be in the eighth grade each year, and if 
they are not, it is perfectly proper to inquire why they are not there. 

It seems best in considering this topic to first show conditions in some 
of the counties, and place the table giving the eighth-grade graduates for 
all the counties last. There seems to be no better way of treating this subject 
than by giving a number of graphs, or charts, which show the per cent of 



COLORADO RURAL A^'D VILLAGE SCIWOL^S 27 

graduates from each district or each, county iu the eight years. It is uufor- 
tuuate that lack of space prevents giving a complete record of these 1725 
school districts, but since this cannot be done, it becomes necessary to select 
certain districts and counties from which average conditions throughout the 
state may be illustrated. 

Since this survey was begun in Mesa county, some three or four years 
ago, that county will be considered first, not because its schools show a 
higher degree of efficiency than the others, as evidenced by the per cent of 
the enrollment that completed the eighth grade, for they do not, but because 
it may be taken as fairly representative of a dozen or more counties that are 
supposed to have the liest rural schools in the state. The survey in tliis 
county extends from 1905 to 1912, inclusive, instead of 190G-1913, as is the 
case with the others. 

Fig. 1 shows the total eighth grade graduates in each district in Mesa 
county. The first number at the end of each district bar represents the total 
number of graduates, while the second number shows that part of the annual 
average enrollment that did not graduate; the two combined equal the 
average enrollment for each district. There are few, if any, counties in 
Colorado where all conditions are more favorable for the most efficient rural 
schools than they are iu this county, for 75 per cent of the children live in 
districts that maintain schools with two or more teachers, and there are 
eight four-year high schools well scattered over the county. This puts a 
high school reasonably close to a large part of the school children of the 
county, and would have a certain effect in encouraging eighth grade grad- 
uation. But notwithstanding this fact and all the other favorable conditions 
found in the county, less than one pupil out of three of the average enroll- 
ment graduated from the eighth grade in eight consecutive years. Only 31 
per cent of the average enrollment completed the course, and while 687 
graduated. 1495. o'- 69 per cent of those eligible to do so, did not. 



2S COLOUADO .\(ll{l(n'r/rVR.\L COIjLEGE 

FIG. I. 
T«tal Riulilli (iriMie dlriuluateK t«r E:iKlit ^ t'jii-s in Kueli Tliird Class Sclutol 

nistrift. 

:»!eya County. 1 !)0."»- I'.M -. Ini'liisi\ «'. 

FMst. Xo. 

f!5. <»l(t(IOO<IO(MI<M»(t(M((l<1001M!0(MIO«IIO»IOO(M((IO<»<»«ll«<MMt(MMI<>(HHMt(l(HM»OOI»<l<«><MIO <'-i KKi 

2S. (!«<)(«Mt(IOO(MMMH»00«00(MtO<t(MHIO«(S<IO<t«000<)(M«(HMHMt«(MNM»l(MI(K«K!OIKIO»IO «-' — 7!> 

10. «[<Mt<)l)IIOOt)<)<>(r(MHH»OOIME(MIOO(IOO(KMMM!«M)00<>ll(t)S(t(IO<>00(t<t<l)t<t(>0000000 .'iS — 7<9 
(!, 000(>00(M«H!0)MMMt<t((0(MMl(M.t(MM10(((MMt(IO<KtOO(M(»<Mi(t(H!0 4«J — 7J> 

15. («l()(K)0(l<MM)<))IO<M(0<)OOIMHtOOOnO<)00)IOUOO(mOO<>0 4\ — (is 

9. (to(((»(tiMMMi(5(m(uiooooono(U((>ooooooo ai — 7i 

13. (((«((MM«l(»00«0<HKtO(>001t«<U(0«IO(tO((0 ;{() — 44 
82. (l<)()0<t)l<MMMI004MMMHIO(MH!<«l<t<)()0(MM> :E(I — (!<'> 

3 9. <Mt<H!(l<((K»(>(IOOO<MM»«>00(MMM»((00<«M)(> :S(t — r (!:$ 

5. <)0(>()(HIO(KI)IO<MHM)(IOOOOOO()0<)<IO '27 — <!(! 

2 0. 00(MIO(UtOII<>OI!4t(MM)000(Mllt(MIO V« — «S 

3 G. (MKMMXKtOOItOOCtKKMlOO (KMHKKMt -Hi .':{ 

7. OOOdOIKMMKKKHMMMIOOOOOOUO 24 4:{ 

3. (MMMKXKDKMXKXMKIOOnOOOO 2U .'0 

11. 0(M)(l(l(!<l(IO<t<MI<)<l(l<IO(> 18 — 51 
27. (KKMMHMKMMMMMMHIOOO IS — CO 

29. 0(l<)0000<MI(l(tO)IIIO(l(( 17 — 1!> 

23. OIMMKKUKIOIUMKIO 14 — 125 

24. Of(0(((10<IO(M10(M( i:! — 20 

30. 00000000000 11 — 10 

4. OOOCMMKIOOO 10 — 2!> 
33. ((000000000 10 — 44 

12. 0000(M!000 ft — S2 
21. (EOOOOOOOO !( — 1!» 

25. 00000000 S— 47 

16. 0000(M)(t 7 — -J(i 
2 2. 000000 (• — 25 

17. 0(KtOO ' — :!0 

14. 0000 4—24 

2 6. 0000 J — i:i 
37. 000 :? — 1(t 

15. z— 22 

Scale: 

as repre.sents no graduates. 

represents one graduate. 

The first number at end of each line represents total Sth grade graduates. 

The second numher those tliat did not graduate. 

The two combined make up the average enrollment of each district. 

2.532. Average school census of the districts given above. 

21,82. Average enrollment. 

1035. Average daily attendance. 

(587. Total eiglith grade gradiiates. 31 per cent of the enrollment. 
1S45. Represents the number that did not graduate who should have been 
eligible to do so. 

Fig. II. exhil)its the i-ame facts for Huerfano eoiint.v. ;Mesa is a very 
pi'ogressive agricultural county, a noted fruit section where the farm unit 
is small, and densely populated in many localities, while Huerfano is known 
for the wealth and productiveness of its coal mines and of certain minerals. 
From Fig. II. it appears that there are forty third class districts, twenty-two 
of these had no graduates in eight years, nltliough they had an average 
enrolhnent of lOSS each year of the eight. This was one-third of the enroll- 



v()ij)ir[h(t /:URAJj a\d ] illage ^schools 21) 

meat of the forty districts. Twenty-two of the districts liad 110 iiraduates. 
and seven more had but one in ei'^ht years. These acconul for approximately 
three-fourtlis of tlie forty districts, and the twenty-nine make a miserable 
showing on tliis item. 

The lirst four districts in the (hart with but 37 per cent of the enroll- 
ment still had TO per cent of the irradnates of the forty districts. 

FIG. II. 

Total Ki^lifh <;ri«io (;railu!i1e!s. Kt^lit ^ oars, l!»(m-lJH:i. 

Hijcrl'aiio C'lfuutj. 

Dist. No. 
!). 000000000000000000000000000(»»OOOOOOOOOflOO«000000000(tOOO«00000<IOO HA— I r^4 

] n. o<i(in()04tooono(ioo(Htoo(MKKMino<)<!(ioo .".1 — 11.' 

30. <MMKI(ltM)0(MI(t(MM» iA IM 7 

•21. iMHHUHtOMUiiW l'^ — 170 
-1 

-ss 



16. 


OOOOOOitO 


35. 


(MKIOOdltO 


1'8. 


(10(14) 4 — 


■2?.. 


(HK> :i — -.i: 


20. 


0<» 


2 — 4y 


21. 


00 


2—13 


11. 





1 —45 


1 2. 





1 — r»<i 


13. 





1 — 17 


26. 





1—11 


32. 





1 — ". 


33. 





1— IIS 


3S. 





1-43 


1. 


'A 


— 24 


2. 


•f. 


— 21 


■->. 


•I. 


— 2<J 


0. 


•I. 


1!) 


(;. 


■t. 


— !» 








' • 


z 


— — .► 


s. 


■i. 


^^**i 


10. 


•t. 


— 43 


1.5. 


•I. 


— 21 


17. 


■I. 


— «4 


IS. 


■f. 


— 34 


22. 


■e. 


— 1!> 


2 4. 


■/, 


— 13 


2."). 


■/. 


— .2S 


29. 


V, 


—42 


31. 


V. 


— 3(5 


34. 


■/. 


— 32 


3fi. 


■I. 


— 31 


3 7. 


■f. 


:{7 


3il. 


■t. 


:;:» 


4it. 


■f. 


— 4,S 


41. 


K 


—40 



Scale: 

, z repre.sents no graduates. 

represents one graduate. 

The first number at the end ol' eadi <listrict bar shows the total number 
that graduated. 

The second number at the end of each district bar shows the part of the 
average enrollment that did not graduate. 

The two combined equal the average enrollment of each district. 

3077. Average scliool census. 

2127. Average enrollment. 

120.1. Average daily attendance. 
177. Total eiglith grade graduates — S per cent of enrollment. 

2000. Represents the number that did not graduate, but who should have 
been eligible to do so during these eight years. 



\0 



COLORADO AGRIVILTURAL COLLIJCHJ 



Fig. HI. gives the same items for Yuma county, whieli liad eighty-seveu 
districts, thirty-nine of whioli liad no graduates in eight years, although they 
had an average annual census of 1012 children. Because of the large num- 
ber of districts in this county and the large number of children affected, 
this county will be considered more in detail. For this purpose we will 
examine the thirty-nine districts that had no graduates. 

Fig. III. 



Total Eighth Grade Graduaites for Ei^ht Vears in Each 
Third Class School District 
Yuma Countu, 1906-1913 Inclusive. 



Graduates 



Did Not Graduate. 




2^836) Average School Census 
2,184- Average Euro II men t- 
1,3 86 Av/era^e Daily Attendance. 
32.0 Total Eig-hth Grade Gradaates 
Which was \5%of Enrollment. 



# A ^ A # A 



■■ Did not graduate. 
CD Graduated 



L. 



Fig. IV. shows the average census for each of these districts for the 
whole period covered by the survey. These districts had 35 per cent of the 
average enrollment of the S7 districts, and yet none of these children wit- 



COLORADO RURAL AND VILLAGE SCHOOLS 31 

nessed au eighth-grade graduation iu their districts in eiglit years. This 
poor I'esult was not because of extremely small schools, for no district in 
this group had less than twelve children of school age each year — the aver- 
age for the thirty-nine districts being twenty-five, while the average daily 
attendance was eighteen — showing that they did go to school ; it is reason- 
able to presume, too, that all were eligible to attend these schools, since none 
of the districts reported a graduate. 

P^ig. IV. 



YUMA COUNTY 
Third Class Districts thai had No Eighth Grade Graduates 
in Ei^ht Years (1906-1913) Showing Census of Dlsts. 



Oist 
No 
84. 
55. 
28. 

1 6. 
10 0. 

88. 

7 9. 

2 6. 

1 9. 

2 9. 
63. 

4 

8 6 
r I. 
6 5. 
6 6. 
95 

2 1. 
38. 
13. 
4-5. 

17. 
32. 
67. 

6 8. 
S9. 
8 7. 

6. 
34 
22. 
10. 
42 

7 7. 

8 
5. 
8. 

3 7. 
62 
57. 



57 



I 39 
38 



I 36 
35 



33 

32- 



30 
29 



27 
27 



25- 
2-5 



kkkkk 




» 79,6 66 
Were Spent in These Districts 
10/2 Sous and Giris 
1^^^ 2^s Not a Pupil Graduated 

Average CenStLS n .1 p- I ^1 /-» J 

^ xrom the Eighth Grade. 



Carrying the investigation further, the following facts are discovered : 
There were 249 teachers employed iu these districts during these eight years. 



COLORADO AGRICULTLRAL COLLEGE 



There were 41 men and 20S women — the men receiving $44 and tlie women 
$41 per month ; tlie average length of term was 101 days ; the average special 
tax leA-y voted by the people themselves for the suppcn-t of their schools was 
12.6S mills on a one-third cash valuation, and with 1012 children of school 

Fig. V 



LAS ANIMAS COUNTY. 
75 Third Class Districts. 
An Eiaht Year^iirveLj 1906-1913 Incliisive. 
Averac^e Enrollment 
4,52 9 



■ Did Not 
Gradixa+e 




CD 



AU J^AIA 



age in these districts, with 240 teachers employed to educate them, with 117 
school directors to assist, after eight years' trial and with the expenditure 
of $76,665, still not one jiupil finished the elementary course. This ought to 
be sufficient evidence that something is wrong somewhere^ in the school 
system. But before passing .iudgmciit upon these thirty-nine districts, it may 



COLORADO RURAL AXD VILLAGE HCJIOOLS 33 

lu' well to consider the remaiiiiiii; forty-eight, eaeli of which had one or more 
liraduates in tlie eight years. 

Tlie first forty-eight districts in Fig. III. also shows the districts with 
the graduates, and those who were eligible l)nt did not graduate. By coni- 

Fig. yi. 



LAS ANIMAS COUNTY 
Third Cla.55 Districts that had No Eighth Grade Graduates 
in Eifi;-ht Years (1906-1913) Show/in^ Census of Dists. 



Oist 

No 




I 49 



123 



uu* 



913 = 



School Census 



»I39,5I8 

These 41 Districts paid out this 

enormoiLS sum and not a, child 
finished the 8^ Grade 



Average Censas 



l.-iriiig the twd parts oi Fig. III., it will he seen that tlie only apparent dif- 
ference between the thirty-nine districts that had no graduates, and sixteen 
of those that did. is one iraduate. for tliat number had but one in eiglit 



34 COLORADO AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE 

years. Nine more had but two iii that time, while tlie first two districts at 
the head of the list, witli an average census of only 17 per cent of the total 
census, graduated 55 per cent of those who completed the course. So it 
would appear that eighth grade graduation was not taken as a very serious 
matter in eighty-one of these eighty-seven districts, for this number averaged 
less than one graduate a year. 

The total number of graduates was o20. The average enrollment for 
eight years was 21S4 annually, and 1864 did not complete the course who 
were eligible to do so. Fifteen per cent finished, while S5 per cent did not. 

Fig. V. displays these facts for the seventy-five districts in Las Animas 
county, where conditions seem to be even worse. Here forty-one, or more 
than half, of the districts in the county, had no graduates in eight years. 

Fig. VI. shows these facts for the forty-one districts referred to. They 
had an aggregate average census of 1013 children annually for eight years, not 
one of whom reached the goal set by our school system. Three hundred 
twenty teachers were emi^loyed in these districts during this period ; the 
average term was 125 days ; the average special tax levy was 5.6 mills, while 
the enormous sum of $1.39,518 was spent for education in the forty-one dis- 
tricts, and according to the records, not a child was prepared for high school 
entrance, or anything else requiring as much as an elementary education. 
Taking all the seventy-five third class districts of the county, we find that but 
6 per cent of the enrollment graduated from the eighth grade. Ninety-four 
per cent of those who entered the schools did not secure an elementary edu- 
cation in the time allotted for that purpose. 

It is plain from the record that these districts were strong, both with 
respect to the number of children in the districts, and the per capita wealth 
as shown by the assessed valuation of the districts, and if these schools were 
inefficient it was not because of lack of children or for lack of funds with 
which to conduct their schools, for no district had fewer than twelve children, 
the average being fifty-six. while the special tax levy was only 5.06 mills, 
leaving 10.14 mills that might have been voted, and the money thus raised 
could have been used in making the schools more efiicient. In this county 
alone, out of an average enrollment of 4320, but 357 completed the course 
Avhile .3972 boys and girls, all destined to I)e citizens of the state, did not get 
an elementary education in the only schools maintained for that purpose. 
This is a terrible indictment to make against the public schools, and yet 
this is exactly what the records show. It was previously stated that this 
county has a large foreign element among its population, and there may be 
other serious difficulties in the way of educating these children, but the 
records show that the children are there and that they are not being educated 
for the daily duties of life and intelligent citizenship. 

All the counties of the state make a miserably low showing on the 
item of eighth grade graduates. Figs. VII. and VIII. show the per cent of 
the enrollment and average daily attendance that graduated in the eight 
years. 

Table VIII. shows the total graduates and the per cent of the enrollment 
who graduated from each of the sixty counties in Colorado. From this we 
can see that the average enrollment for the 1725 districts was 64,385, while 



(JULORADO RURAL AM) \ ILLAiJB SCJJOOLH 



but 14,559 completed the course duriii.i; the time in which tlie great majority 
should have done so. 

There were 39,219 children in average daily attendance during these 
eight years, and of this niuuher who took advantaae of all that the schools 

Fig. VII. 



COLORADO RURAL 5CH00LS. 

1725 Third Class Districts. 
An Eight Year Survey 1906-1913 Inclusive. 
Average Enrollment. 
64,385 




■ Did Not 
Graduate. 



AUI 



Graduated. 



had to offer. 24,660 did not tinish the course in the time allotted for that 
purpose. 

Twenty-four thousand six hundred sixty is here marked "EXHIBIT C" 
and constitutes the thii'd great loss to be recorded against our system of 
rural schools. 



COLOh'MX) \(;lll('VIVrVH.\L CO I, LEGE 
Fio. VIII. 



COLORADO RURAL SCHOOLS, 
I 725 Third Class Districts. 
An Eight Year ^urveu 1906-1913 hiclusive. 
Average Dailij Attendance. 
2)9,SL19 



M Did V\ot 
Graduate. 




kkkkk 




It is iKnv possible to summarize on these four items, tlie census, enroll- 
ment, average daily attendance, and eiglith grade graduates for all the rural 
and village schools of the state. The 82,174 rural school children of Colo- 
rado fall into four groups, as follows : 

17,789 represents that part of the census which did not enroll at all. 

25,166 represents the number ahsent all of the time on ac-count of irreg-ulav 

attendance. 
24,660 represents that part of the averag'e daily attendaiice. who. althougii they 

were present on the average all of the time, still they did not finish. 
14. .5.59 represents the "Finished Products," the eighth grade graduates, and 

this was hut 22 per cent of the average enrollment. 
82,174 TOTAL,. 



COLORADO RURAL AND VILLAGE SCHOOLS 



37 



TABLE VIII. 
The Average Enrollment, Total Eighth Grade Graduates, Per Cent of Enroll- 
ment Graduated, and Number Who Did Not Graduate in All the Counties. 

Au Eig-ht-Yejir Average and Suiuiuary. 



COUNTY 


Enroll- 
ment 


Eighth 

Grade 

Graduates 


Per Cent 
Graduated 


No. Who 
Did Not 
Graduate 


CLEAR CREEK 


422 


207 


1 49% 


I 215 




HINSDALE 


138 


• 62 


46% 


76 




DOUGLAS 


090 


299 


43% 


1 391 




DOLORES 


127 


50 


40% 


, 77 




ARAPAHOE 


1,083 


396 


36% 


1 687 




EAGLE 


639 


225 


35% 


414 




BENT 


541 


182 


34% 


359 




JEFFERSON 


1,474 


441 


34% 


1,033 




PHILLIPS 


758 


260 


34% 


498 




SUMMIT 


363 


122 


34% 


241 




BOULDER 


2,163 


705 


33% 


1 1,458 




RIO BLANCO 


475 


158 


33% 


317 




GILPIN 


570 


180 


32% 


390 




GRAND 


325 


102 


31% 


223 




MESA 


2,182 


687 


31% 


1,495 




OURAY 


382 


120 


31% 


262 




SAN MIGUEL '. 


372 


114 


31% 


258 




SEDGWICK 


665 


205 


31% 


460 




ADAMS 


1,525 


425 


30% 


1,100 




MINERAL 


288 


82 


30% 


206 




TELLER 


267 


80 


30% 


187 




WELD 


6,039 


1,660 


30% 


4,379 




DELTA 


1,399 


409 


28% 


990 




MONTROSE 


1,037 


288 


28% 


749 




GARFIELD 


1,309 


354 


27% 


955 




PROWERS 


1,640 


420 


26% 


1,220 




CHEYENNE 


745 


184 


25% 


561 




*JACKSON 


190 


47 


25% 


143 




MORGAN 


734 


179 


24% 


555 




ELBERT 


1,249 


288 


23% 


961 




OTERO 


1,679 


384 


23% 


1,295 




PITKIN 


311 


70 


23% 


241 




SAGUACHE 


818 


185 


23% 


633 




EL PASO 


1,760 


397 


22% 


1,363 




KIOWA 


610 


133 


22% 


477 




LARIMER 


2,393 


524 


22% 


1,869 




PARK 


378 


82 


22% 


296 




GUNNISON 


876 


185 


21% 


691 




KIT CARSON 


1,652 


345 


21% 


1,307 




MONTEZUMA 


807 


167 


21% 


640 




PUEBLO 


1,381 


292 


21% 


1,089 




LA PLATA . . 


1,349 


272 


20% 


1,077 




LINCOLN 


1,245 


249 


20% 


996 




*MOFFAT 


334 


65 


20% 


269 




WASHINGTON 


1,281 


249 


20% 


1,032 
1,047 


FREMONT 


1,295 


248 


19% 




LOGAN . . 


1,254 


230 


18% 


1,024 




RIO GRANDE 


604 


103 


17% 


501 




BACA 


398 


63 


16% 


335 




YUMA 


2,184 


320 


15% 


1,864 


CUSTER 


427 


62 


14% 


365 


ROUTT 


1,307 


182 


14% 


1,125 



38 



COLORADO AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE 



TABLE VIII.— Continued. 



COUNTY 


i Enroll- 
1 ment 


1 Eighth 
1 Grade 
1 Graduates 


Per Cent 
Graduated 


No. Who 
Did Not 
Graduate 


CHAFFEE 


1 457 


1 69 


13% 


388 








COSTILLA 


1 987 


1 127 


13% 


860 








CONEJOS 


1 1,429 


1 142 


12% 


1,287 






*CROWLEY 


... 1 320 


1 31 


9% 


295 








HUERFANO 


1 2.127 


1 157 


7% 


1,970 






ARCHULETA 


1 373 


1 26 


7% 


347 








LAKE 


1 223 


1 12 


6% 


211 








LAS ANIMAS 


1 4,329 


1 257 


6% 


4 072 








Total 


1 64,385 


1 14,559 




49,826 






Average 






22% 











*Crowley, Moffat and Jackson counties were organized during these eight 
years and reported for two, three and four years, respectively. 



EDUCATIONAL SURVEY OF THE SCHOOLS OF LAS ANIMAS COUNTY, COLO. 
SCHOOL DISTRICT No. 5. 



YEAR. 


Census 


Enroll- 
ment 


Av.daily 
Attend- 
ance 


SthGrade]- 
Grad'tes | 


Teachers 


Term 
Days 


Male 


Female 


1906 


116 


63 


32 


1 


1 




160 






1907 


150 


65 


27 


1 




160 






1908 


129 


65 


41 


9 1 




140 






1909 


113 


43 


27 


1 




120 






1910 


123 


96 


40 


1 




160 




1911 


126 


40 


32 


1 




120 




1912 


117 


62 


48 


9 ! 






126 






1913 


113 


93 


56 


9 1 


2 


140 




Total 


987 


527 


303 


1 


1 


8 


1,126 




Average 


123 


66 


38 


1 


1 141 





54% of the census enrolled. 

58% of the enrollment were in average daily attendance. 

Not one of those enrolled graduated from the eighth grade. 

The average census in this district was 123 each year of the eight. Only 
one teacher was employeil for the first seven years, yet there were enough 
pupils in the district of school age to give three teachers all they could do. 

The average enrollment was large enough to make heavy work for two 
tf achers. 

NOTE; These forms were used in collecting the data for each district. 









1 Salaries 


Assessed 
Valuation 
District 


Speclall 
Tax 
Mills 


No. of 
Build- 
ings 


Value 

Sites and 

IBuildings 


Total 
Cost of 
School 


Year 


1 Male 


Fe- 
male 


J 906 






. . 1 $50 


$ 


$ 


139,994 


1 3 1 




$ 6,300 


$ 1,313 


l!»l)7 








50 




139,994 


3 1 




6,300 


1,783 


1908 






• -1 


55 




129,584 


! 4 1 




6,300 


2,343 


l!M»9 






■ -1 


55 




122,225 


1 10 1 




6,300 


3,036 


1910 








55 




131,399 


o 




6,300 


978 


1911 








55 




120,190 


1 10 1 




6,300 


1,854 


1912 






• -1 


60 




122,894 


1 3 1 




6,300 


1,665 


1913 








60 




120,759 


1 8 i 


2 


6,300 


1,327 


Total . 




. . .| $50 


$390 


$1,027,039 


! 43 ! 




$50,400 


$14,299 


Average 


. . 1 $50 


$ 56 


$ 


128,380 


1 5. 38 1 




$ 6.300 


$ 1,787 



$14,299 were spent and yet there were no graduates. 

$51 represents the investment in sites and buildings per census pupil 



COLOh'MX) RVh'AL AM) VILLAGE t^CIIOOL^S 



39 



$16,638 Amount that could have been raised by special tax. (Maximum 16.2 

mills.) 
$ 5,420 Amount that was raised by special tax. 



$11,218 Unused resources for maintenance. 

$ 4,493 Amount that could have been raised for sites and buildings. 

(Max. 3.5 per cent.) 
$ 6,300 Present value of sites and buildings. (1913 value.) 



$ 1,807 Excess of present value over bonding ability during these eight years. 

The people in this district only used one-third of their available re- 
sources for maintaining a school. 



EDUCATIONAL SURVEY OF THE SCHOOLS OF LAS ANIMAS COUNTY, 
COLO. SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 12. 





Year 


Census 


1 

1 
Enroll- 
ment 


(Average 
1 Daily 
1 At- 
1 tend 
1 ance 
1 


Eighth 
Grade 
Grad- 
uates 


Teac 


hers 






Male 


Fe- 
male 


Term 
Days 


1906 . 




131 


1 51 


1 19 





1 1 


160 


1907 . 




138 


1 65 


1 23 





1 1 


200 


1908 . 




145 


! 87 


1 40 


o 


1 1 


200 


1909 


164 


1 98 


1 • 31 





2 ! 


200 


1910 


157 


1 94 


1 21 





2 1 


180 


1911 


156 


i 86 


1 44 





•> f 


180 


1912 


142 


1 89 


1 47 





2 1 


180 






1913 


157 


1 91 


1 65 





2 1 


180 


Total 


1,190 


1 661 


1 290 





13 1 


1,480 


Average .... 


149 


1 83 


1 26 





** 1 


185 



56 per cent of the census enrolled. 

31 per cent of the enrollment were in average daily attendance. 

Not one of tlio^'e eiu-olled sradnated from the eislith grade. 

An average of sixt.v-six children of school age did not enroll each of the 
eight years. This was enough to require the services of two teachers. 

INIore than two-thirds of those who did enroll were out of school on an 
average all of the time. 

Of the twenty-six who were in average daily attendance, not one linishtd 
the eighth grade. 





Year 


Salaries 


Assessed 
Valuation 
District 


Special! No. of 
Tax 1 Build- 
Mills 1 ings 

1 


1 

Value 1 

Sites and 1 

IBuildings ( 


Total 
Cost of 
School 




Male 1 

1 


Fe- 
male 


1906 


$ 60 




$ 


163,997 


1 1 




1 1 


$ 1,540 1 


$ 707 


1907 


60 






163,997 


1 5 




1 1 


1,550 1 


1,990 


1908 


55 1 






196,435 


1 




1 1 


1,855 1 


1,449 


1909 


62 






191,436 


1 ** 




1 2 


2,375 1 


1,341 


1910 


70 






1.57,664 


! 2 




1 2 


2,375 ! 


1,193 


1911 


62 






203,715 


I 2 


5 


1 2 


2,375 1 


1,263 


1912 


63 1 






217,009 


1 2 


5 


1 2 


5,1 20 1 


1,248 


1913 


67 






214,397 


! 4 




1 2 


1,070 I 


1,292 


Total .... 


499 




*] 


,508,6.50 


! 19 




i 13 


$18,260 1 


$10,483 


Av 


eragre . . 


62 






188,581 


1 2 


38 


1 2 


2.283 ! 


1,310 



$15 represents the investment in sites and buildings per census pupil. 

$23,440 Amount that could liave l)een raised by special tax. 
$ 3,583 Amount that was raised by special tax. 



$19,857 Unused resources for maintenance. 



40 



COLORADO AauICULTURAL COLLEGE 



$ 6,600 Amount that could have been raised for sites and biiildings. 
$ 1,070 Present value of sites and buildings. 



$ 5,530 Unused resources for building. 

This district speut $10,483 and no pupil finished the eighth grade. 
The people in this district did not use one-eighth of the funds that they 
might have raised for running their school. 



EDUCATIONAL, SURVEY OF THE SCHOOLS OF LAS ANIMAS COUNTY, 
COLORADO. SCHOOL DISTRICT No. 23. 



YEAR 


Census 


Enroll- 
ment 


[Av.daily 
1 Attend- 
1 ance 


8th Grade 
Grad'tes 


Teachers 


Term 
Days 




Male 


Female 


1906 


61 


43 


1 23 








1 


100 






1907 


58 


48 


1 18 





1 





140 






1908 


102 


50 


1 23 





1 





114 






1909 


117 


43 


1 18 








1 


90 






1910 


120 


51 


1 31 





1 





120 






1911 


185 


43 


1 23 








1 


160 






1912 


65 


48 


1 30 








1 


160 






1913 


61 


49 


1 23 








1 


160 






Total 


769 


375 


! 189 





3 


5 


1,044 




Average 


96 


47 


1 24 









131 







49% of the census enrolled. 

50% of the enrollment were in average daily attendance. 

Not one of those enrolled graduated from the eighth grade. 

There were enough children in this district each of the eight years to 

Justify the employment of three teachers, yet only one was employed. 



Year 


Sala 
Male 


ries 

Fe- 
male 


Assessed 
Valuation 
District 


Special 
Tax 
Mills 


No. of 
Build- 
ings 


1 Value 1 
1 Sites and | 
iBuildings | 


Total 
Cost of 
School 


1906 






$ 50 


$ 


20,02O 


3 




1 $ 418 1 


$ 369 






1907 




$ 50 




20,020 


4 




i 417 1 


440 






1908 




50 




26,280 


4 




1 1,034 ] 


376 






1909 






45 


26,010 


4 




1 1»037 1 


301 






1910 




65 




29,189 


5 




1 350 ! 


505 






1911 






65 


31,792 


4 




1 325 i 


689 






1912 






65 


45,765 


2 




1 575 . ! 


603 








1913 






65 


36,696 


7 




1 325 ! 


610 








Total 


$165 


$290 


$ 


235,772 


33 


8 


1 $4,481 : 


$3,893 


Average 


55 


58 


29,471 


4.12 


1 


1 560 1 


487 



$6 represents the investment in sites and buildings per census pupil. 

$3,819 Amount that could have been raised by special tax. 
$ 972 Amount that was raised by special tax. 



$2,847 Unused resources for maintenance. 

$1,032 Amount that could have been raised for sites and buildings. 
$ 325 Present value of sites and buildings. 



$ 707 Unused resources for building. 

This district used but one-fourth of its available resources for main- 
tenance, and the investment in sites and buildings was but .$6 per census 
pupil. 



COLORADO RURAL AND VILLAGE SCHOOLS 



41 



EUCATIONAL SURVEY OF THE SCHOOLS OF HUERFANO COUNTY, 
COLORADO. SCHOOL DISTRICT No. 8. 



YEAR. 


i Census 


Enroll- 
ment 


Av.dallv 
Attend- 
ance 


8th Grade 
Grad'tes 


Teac 


hers 


Term 
Days 




Male 


Female 


1906 


... 1 165 


46 


23 









140 






1J)07 


... 1 162 


47 


25 









140 






1!>08 


1 166 


51 


34 









120 






1909 


... 1 173 


55 


25 









140 






1910 


184 


63 


40 









140 






1911 


... 1 184 


60 


24 









130 






1912 


. . 1 1 81 


67 


32 







J— 


140 






1913 


... 1 182 


67 


30 







116 


Total 


...| 1,397 


456 


233 







8 


1,066 








... 1 174 


57 


29 







1 


133 







33% of the census enrolled. 

51% of the enrollment were in average daily attendance. 

Not one of those enrolled graduated from the eighth grade. 

1-3 of those of school age enrolled. 

% of enrolfment were present each day. 

1 out of 6 of those of school age were in school each day. 

One hundred seventeen children of school age did not enroll at all each 
of the eight years. 





Salaries 


As 
Va 

D 


sessed 
nation 
istrict 


Special 

Tax 
Mills 


No. of 
Build- 
ings 


Value 1 

Sites and | 

Buildings | 

I 


Total 
Cost of 
School 


Year 


1 Pe- 
Male 1 male 

1 


1906 


1 $ 65 


.$ 


17.365 


1 


1 


$ 1,530 1 


$ 


572 






1907 


1 65 




17,204 


2 


1 


1,530 j 




509 






1908 


] 60 




12,698 


o 


1 


1,530 I 




403 






1909 


1 70 




13.936 


2 




1,530 [ 




507 






1910 


1 70 


1 2 


1 


1,530 1 




548 






1911 


1 65 




22,702 


2 




1,525 i 




400 






1912 


1 75 




21,636 


2 


1 


1,525 1 




626 


1913 


1 75 




.'57,134 




1 


1,230 1 




528 






Total 


1 *470 


it; 162,675 


13 


8 


$ 11,930 ! 


$ 4,093 


Average 


1 67 




20,3.34 


2 


1 


1,491 1 




512 



$8 represents the investment in sites and buildings per census pupil. 

$2,635 Amount that could have been raised by special tax. 
$ 264 Amount that was raised by special tax. 



$2,371 Unused resources for maintenance. 

$ 711 Amount that could have been raised for sites and buildings. 
$1,230 Present value of sites and buildings. 



$ 519 Excess of present value over bonding ability during tliese eiglit years. 

This district had hut $N invested in sites and buildings per census pupil, 
and might have raised eight times as much money as they did for tlie main- 
tenance of their school. 



42 



VOLOli. 1 />(> . I GRI CULTURAL COLLEGE 



EDUCATIONAL SURVEY OP THE SCHOOLS OF HUERFANO COUNTY, 
COLO. SCHOOL DISTRICT No. 33. 



YEAR. 


Census 


Enroll- 
ment 


Av.dailv 
Attend- 
ance 


8th Grade 
Grad'tes 


Teac 
Male 


hers 
Female 


Term 
Days 


190« 


160 


99 


46 







1 




180 




1S>07 


200 


96 


62 







2 


180 




1908 


148 


90 


60 







2 


180 




1909 


213 


148 


64 







2 


180 


1910 


200 


124 


40 


1 




•> 


180 




1911 


160 


147 


96 







2 


140 




1912 


152 


124 


80 





1 




180 




1913 


141 


126 


65 





1 


1 


172 




Total 


1,374 


954 


513 


1 


3 


11 


1,392 






171 


119 


64 








174 





70% of the census enrolled. 

54% of the enrollment were in average daily attendance. 

1 graduated out of an average enrollment of 119. 





Year 


Salaries 


Assessed 
Valuation 
District 


Special 

Tax 
Mills 


No. of 
Build- 
ings 


Value 1 
Sites and | 
Buildings 


Total 
Cost of 
School 




Male 


Fe- 
male 


1906 




$ 70 


$ 


$ 121,699 


7 






$ 975 1 


$ 1,136 






1907 






60 


122,022 


5 






915 1 


1,597 






1908 






60 


105,884 


8 






905 1 


1,135 






1909 






60 


99,039 


12 






1,075 1 


1,159 






1910 






62 




15 






1,020 1 


1,591 






1911 






62 


72,173 


15 






1,550 1 


1,621 






1912 




85 




70,793 


14 






920 1 


2 622 








1913 




85 


60 


160.134 








1,275 1 


1,405 






Total 


240 


364 


751.744 


76 




8 


8.635 1 


12,266 


Av 


erage 


80 


60 


107.392 


11 




1 


1,079 1 


1,533 



^2,266 Average cost to graduate a pupil from the eighth grade. 
f6 represents the investment in sites and buildings per census pu 

fl3,918 Amount that could have been raised by special tax. 
i 7,947 Amount that was raised by special tax. 



pil. 



$ 5,971 Unused resources for maintenance. 

$ 3,758 Amount that could have been raised for sites and buildings. 

$ 1,275 Present value of sites and buildings. 

$ 2,483 Unused resources for building. 



EDUCATIONAL SURVEY OF THE SCHOOLS OF YUMA COUNTY 
SCHOOL DISTRICT No. 2. 



COLORADO. 



YEAR. 


Census 


Enroll- 
ment 


Av.dailyl 
Attend- 8th Grade 
ance Grad'tes 


Teachers 


Term 
Days 




Male 


Female 


1906 


240 


235 


57 


11 


1 


6 


180 


1907 


244 


204 


188 


25 


1 


6 


180 


1908 


271 




120 


22 




5 


180 




1909 


299 


234 


200 


23 




5 


180 


1910 


162 


264 


192 






5 


100 




1911 


255 


256 


19 






7 


180 


1912 


283 


273 


168 


26 




7 


180 




1913 


358 


290 


240 


11 




10 


166 


Total 


2,112 


1,756 


1.358 


137 


2 


51 


1,346 




Average 


264 1 


250 


169 






6 


168 



COLORADO RURAL AND VILLAGE SCHOOLS 



95% of the census enrolled. 

68% of the enrollment were in average daily attendance. 

55% of the enrollment graduated from the eighth grade. 

This district is in one of tlie counties that made a very poor showing on 
most all items, yet it is one of the most eHicient third class districts in all 
respects that can be found in the state — as shown by the records. 

I Salaries | | | . | | 

I 1 Assessed |Speeial|No. of | Value | Total 

I I Fe- I Vahiation | Tax | Build- | Sites and | Cost of 

Year | Male | m ;ili' l>isti-ir t | Mills | ing-s [Buildings | School 

1906 1 $ 85 I $ .%(> .n :;o!»..i<i:i \ is j i | $ 3,::oo | $ 4,U2G 

1»07 1 100 I 50 I 218,528 | 15 | 2 \ 3,208 ! 4,50« 

1908 1 I 62 I 248,728 | 15 | 11 4,725 ! 3,827 

1909 1 I 66 I 242,072 | 15 | 2 | 4,325 | 3,941 

1910 I I 63 I 280,000 | 7 | 2 | 10,000 | 4,057 

1911 1 I 55 I 258,806 | 7 | 2 | 6,175 | 8,364 

1912 1 I 65 I 298,600 | 15 | 2 | 6,175 | 5,562 

1913 1 I 63 I 301,621 | 15 | 2 | 6,000 | 5,714 

Total I $185 I $474 | $2,057,918 | 104 | 14 | $43,808 I $40.197 

Average | 92 | 59 | 257,239 | 13 | 2 | 5,476 | 5,024 

$ 293 Average cost to graduate a pupil from the eig'hth grade. 

$ 20 represent.s the investment in sites and buildings per census pupil. 

$33,338 Amount that could have been raised by special tax. 
$26,752 Amount that was raised by special tax: 

$ 6,586 Unused resources for maintenance. 

$ 9,000 Amount tliat could have been raised for sites and buildings. 
$ 6,000 Present value of sites and buildings. 

$ 3,000 Unused resources for building. 



LENGTH OF SCHOOL TERM 

I'assing fi'om the first four topics, in all of which the school children 
were considered in their various relations to the school, it will be of interest 
now to consider some of the other parts of the school system to see if 
anything can be discovered to help account for the low enrollment, poor 
attendance and unmistakable evidence of general inefiiciency clearly proven 
by the facts and figures already given. 

Tlie length of term, or school year, certainly bears a close relation to the 
efficiency of the schools. The different districts, counties and the state, taken 
as a whole, make a better showing on this item than was expected before the 
survey was completed, although the averages for many districts, and most of 
the counties was far below what it should have been. There were (luite a 
number of districts in wliich the length of term was far too short to expect 
any seriovis work, or for the pupils to make even a good start on a year's 
work, while in others it would be impossible for them to make a grade under 
(he given conditions in these schools, still the total number of children 
affected in all such districts was comparatively small when compared to the 
census of the 172.5 districts. The same was true, and it was so stated, with 
regard to the census, enrollment and average daily attendance in the dis- 
tricts having but few children. At the present time Colorado has a minimum 



44 



COLORADO AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE 



term law, requiring a term of not less than 120 days of school in each dis- 
trict, but there was no such law in force during these eight years. 

Table IX. shows the average number of days of school iu each county 
during the entire time covered by the survey. From this we can divide 
all the counties into four groups, as follows : 

Those having an average of IGO days of school or more ; those having 
between 140 and 160 ; those between 120 and 140 ; and those having less than 
120, the minimum now required by law. The figures showing the number of 
children affected in each group are here given. 



Days of School- 



TABLB IX. 
-The Counties Are Arranged According to Higliest Averag'e 
for Eight Years. 



County. Days. 

160 Days or More. 

CROWLEY 167 

WELD 167 

MORGAN 166 

ADAMS 165 

ARAPAHOE 160 

Between 140 and 160. 

BOULDER 158 

CLEAR CREEK 157 

OURAY 155 

PITKIN 155 

LAKE 154 

MESA 154 

BENT 153 

OTERO 153 

EAGLE 15:J 

CHEYENNE 151 

PARK ir,o 

TELLER 15» 

GILPIN 14!) 

DELTA 148 

EL PASO 14S 

LARIMER 147 

CHAFFEE 146 

GUNNISON 14<J 

SAN MIGUEL 146 

FREMONT 145 

JEFFERSON 144 

PHILLIPS 144 

LINCOLN 141' 

MINERAL 14:: 

DOUGLAS 141 

JACKSON 141 



County. Days. 

140-160 (Continued.) 

LAS ANIMAS 141 

PUEBLO 141 

GARFIELD 140 

MONTROSE 140 

RIO GRANDE 140 

Between ]20 and 140 

RIO BLANCO 139 

SAGUACHE 139 

ARCHULETA 137 

LA PLATA 137 

PROWERS 135 

LOGAN 137 

MOFFAT 137 

KIOWA 134 

MONTEZUMA 133 

COSTILLA 131 

SEDGWICK 131 

DOLORES 129 

HUERFANO 128 

ELBERT 126 

KIT CARSON 126 

HINSDALE 126 

KIT CARSON 126 

ROUTT 125 

SUMMIT 122 

CONEJOS 121 

GRAND 121 

Less Than 120 

WASHINGTON 115 

YUMA .114 

CUSTER Ill 

BACA 98 

12,240, or 15 per cent of the census, were in counties having 160 or more days 

of scliool each of the eight years. 
40,439, or 48 per cent were in counties with between 140 and 160 days each. 
23,785, or 29 per cent were in counties liaving between 130 and 140 days each. 
5,710, or 8 per cent were in counties liaving an annual term of less than 120 
days of school each year. 



82,174 TOTAL. 

Five counties had 160 days or more. 
Thirty had between 140 and 160. 
Twenty-one had between 120 and 140. 

Five had less than 120 days each year, and only S per cent of the children 
were in these counties. Ninety-two per cent of the children lived in counties 
where the average length of term was considerably in excess of that required 
by law at the present time. 

It is conceded that a multitude of sins may be covered up under the 
guise of county avenages, but after examining all of the facts available on 
this item, it must be admitted that the great majority of these children 
lived in districts and attended schools where the term was eight and nine 



COLORADO RURAL AND VILLAGE SCHOOLS 45 

months. The average for the 1725 districts was 140 days, or seven months, 
and if all these districts were examined for the year 1913, the last one 
iuclnded in the survey, a still smaller number of children would be affected. 

This minimum term law is a good one as far as it goes, and it will do 
much good, for now no district can maintain a school for less than six months, 
but it does not apply to districts where 92 per cent of the children were found 
on an eight-year average. As the courses are now arranged, it is quite 
generally agreed that these schools should all have a full nine montlis' term 
each year, but on the basis of part school and part work, where the work is 
used for instruction, the school attendance might be less than nine months. 
However, iti is certain that if one or two more months were added to the 
school year, country children would have a far better chance to compete 
with city children in acquiring an education, and could make much better 
])rogress in their passing from grade to grade, but after all, length of term 
is only one of the things needed to increase tlie efficiency of these schools, 
and there are changes needed even more important and fundamental than 
that — as important as it is — some of which will be mentioned later. 

Some ridiculous examples could be given, as where the district prev- 
iously referred to as having only three children in eiglit years, also had but 
sixty days of school in the whole eight years, but such cases have but little 
influence on average conditions. 

SPECIAL SCHOOL TAXES AND REVENUES. 

There should always be, and usually is, a very close relationship between 
the cost of a school and its efficiency. Money will provide many of the 
things necessary to make a good school, and increased cost is one of the 
strongest arguments raised against rural school improvement, for in the last 
analysis almost all opposition resolves itself into a question of cost. Opposi- 
tion to paying taxes is proverbial, and when in trying to suggest improvements 
in rural schools, the question of cost is raised, as it invariably is, it is very 
connnon for people to take the attitude that the school tax constitutes a large, 
if not the largest, share of their taxes. 

School revenues in Colorado come mainly from three sources, the state, 
the county and the school district. — a very good arrangement when the pro- 
portions are right, but unfortunately in Colorado, too large a part of the 
burden for .supporting the schools by taxation, and practically all the re- 
sponsibility of organization and adnunistl^ation of the schools falls upon the 
small unit, the district, which, of the three is least able to provide the things 
necessary for an efficient system of schools. In fact it cannot do so of itself. 

In considering the cost of schools, it is very common to think of the 
total amount paid out without thinking of the number of children who 
shared in the expenses, or the cost per capita, which is rarely excessive 
in Colorado, especially when we think of the interests at stake. At the 
present time all taxable property is assessed on the basis of the full cash 
value, but during the years 1906-1913 it was taxed on one-third of its 
cash value, and in some counties this third sometimes dwindled to a fifth, 
and it is believed that many persons who had $10,000.00 worth of assessable 
property paid taxes on not more than .$2,000-00, or in that proportion. 



40 



coiAnr\n() Adh'ici i/n h'Mj college 



Huriui,' the first, six years covered by this survey, the legal limit for the 
special district, tax for school iiuriioses was ir» mills, while for the last two 
of the eight years the limit was 20 mills. So we may say that] the average 
tax allowed by law in all school districts of the third class was 16.2 mills 
each year, and whatever it was, it was levied on not more than a one-third 
cash valuation, and fre(iuently much less than that. 

Districts having schools that are inetticient l)ecause the people failed 
to vote sufficient taxes to provide the things necessary for good schools, 
are much more connnon than those having iioor schools because of the small 
number of children in the district or in attendance. There are many cases 
where for a single year, and in some cases two or more years in succession, 
where the peoi)le in the disti"ict voted no siiecial school tax at all — and the 
scarcity of funds is not due to the iioverty of the districts or of the people in 
them, nor the limitations made by law, but to the failure of a ma.iority of the 
people themselves in not making their resources available for use by voting 
a school tax sulticiently large to provide the things necessary for good 
schools. The evidence on this point is so convincing and so conclusive that 
there) is no doubt about it. The figures sulimitted prove it. 

Table X. exhibits the special tax levies of all the counties investigated, 
except two, in which this item was not secured. This is an eight-year 
average for each county, and represents thei amount that the people in each 
county voluntarily taxed themselves for the support of their schools and 
the education of their children in them. In addition to the special tax 
levied by the people in each district, the county commissioners in all coun- 
ties may, and in most cases they do, levy a small tax on all the property of 
the county as a general school tax, but this, which is levied for the educa- 
tion of children, is but a fraction of the amount levied by the same body 
for the repair of roads and I)ridges within the conntv. 



TABLE X. 



Special Tax Levy in Each County. — An Eight-Year Average. 



County. Mill.s. 

10 Miles or Over. 

MESA 13 21 

LINCOLN 12.7 

YUMA 12.6S 

DELTA ll.Gl 

CROWLEY 10.7 

GARFIELD 10.54 

DOLORES 10 3.1 

MONTROSE 10 2 

MONTEZUMA 10.07 

Between 8 and 10 Mill.';. 

FREMONT 0.,S0 

HINDSD ALE 9.S 

CLEAR CREEK 9.7« 

SEDGWICK 9.7.'> 

WELD 0.7 

PROM^ERS 9.05 

TELLER 9.5 

^^ASHINGTON 9.4S 

CTTSTER 9.21 

MORGAN 9.19 

CONE.IOS 9.19 

OTLPIN 9.1 

KIOWA 9.1 

LOGAN 8.75 

KIT CARSON S.7 



County. Mills. 

Between 8 and 10 Mill.«. — Continued. 

OURAY 8.6 

LA PLATA 8.5 

OTERO 8.13 

Between 5 and 8 Mills. 

CHAFFEE 7.94 

EAGLE 7.94 

PHILLIPS 7.8(5 

ELBERT 7.81 

BOULDER 7.73 

HUERFANO 7.fi5 

EL PASO 7.65 

MOFFAT 7.6 

BENT 7.6 

MINERAL 7..5S 

ARAPAHOE 7..51 

GUNNISON 7.4 

RIO GRANDE 7.4 

PUEBLO 7.44 

COSTILLA 7.43 

LARIMER 7.1 

.lEFFERSON « S 

ROUTT (;.35 

LAS ANIMAS «;.14 

ADAMS «.0(i 

ARCHULETA 5.85 



COLORADO RURAL AAW VILLAGE SCHOOLS 47 

TABLE X. — Continued. 

County. Mills. County. Mills. 

Between 5 and 8 Mills (continued). Less than 5 Mills. — Continued. 
SAN MIGUEL 5.57 JACKSON 4.4 

RIO BLANCO r>.r,r, grand -i 7 

SAGUACHE 5.45 LAKE . . . .'.■.'.'.'.■.■.■. '.'.'.'.['.'.'.."." 3.56 

BACA 5.2 *CHEYENNE 

PARK 5. *PITKIN 



Less Than .'> Mil 



AVERAGE S.08 



SUMMIT 4.'Mi *This item was not secured 

DOUGLAS 4.44 these counties. 

The third class districts in no county in Colorado dtiring these ei^ht 
years made use of more than no per cent of their resources allowed by the 
special district tax, taking all these districts in each county as a whole, 
while only tive of the sixty counties levied 1 per cent or more, and this 
amount was assessed on a one-third valuation and would amount to only 
about three or four mills on tlie dollar of a full valuation. It is dithcult 
to figure how such a tax could be oppressive on the average taxpayer, es- 
peccially if this tax were uniform throughout an entire county, which it is 
not. But taldng these five counties where the average was the Ligliest, it 
amounts to less than five mills on a fair valuation. This is ONE-HALF OF 
ONE PER CENT raised within the district for the education of the children, 
and in most cases it provides the text-boolvs free to the children. 

The average for the sixty counties and 1725 districts was only 8.08 
mills, which means tliat the rural and village schools of Coloradoi used but 
50 per cent of their available resources during these eight years. Of course, 
many of the most etlicient schools levied near the legal limit for tlie whole 
period and some would have willingly levied more, if they could have done 
so, but the great majority of the districts did not do it. 

The county having the highest average levied a special tax of 13.21 
mills, while the one having the lowest was ,3.56, which means that one 
county paid 300 per cent more than the other, and presumably for the same 
thing. While there i.s such a wide variation between the counties, still the 
difference between the different districts within the same county is often 
much greater. Sometimes the farmers in one locality will pay tive times as 
high a rate of school tax as a neighboring connnunitj- under almost exactly 
the same conditions, often due to the mere accidents of fortune over which 
the people themselves had no control, as in the case of a large railroad 
mileage in one district, and none, or little, in the other, and many times 
the low school taxes are not due to as just causes as the cases above cited. 
It is often due to the active opposition of certain taxpayers who either do 
not appreciate the A'alue of education, or for various other reasons, do not 
want to pay a school tax. It will re<iuire more money to improve the rural 
schools of Colorado, or else the money now spent must l)e spent to a much 
better advantage. It is not at all uncommon to hnd country school districts 
surrounding towns and citiesi located in first and second class school districts 
where the country people tax themselves one. two, or three mills on the 
dollar, while the city people levy twenty nulls or more. Both are buying, 
or trying to buy, education for their children. lOither one is paying an 
enormous price, or the other is getting an inferior article. On the average, 



48 COLORADO AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE 

the first and secoud class districts are paying more than, twice as much for 
the support of their schools as are the third class districts that immediately 
surround them, yet the country and city dweller buy their commodities and 
supplies at the same stores and pay exactly the same prices for them. Why 
shouldn't they pay the same for education? 

If a uniform tax as liigh as that now levied by first and second class 
districts were levied on all tJie third class districts in most of tiie couuties, 
the money thus raised, in excess of what is now raised, would be surticient 
to buy as good equipment as now used by the city schools, and in addition, 
would pay the couuty superintendent the same salary as is paid the city 
superintendent, would pay country teachers the same salaries for the same 
grade of work as is paid city teachers; it would employ the same number 
of special teachers for special subjects to work throughout the couuty, and 
a sufficient number of couuty supervisors to adequately supervise and make 
effective the work in all the rural schools within the county. This state- 
ment is not made at random aud without the facts in the case, but it can be 
demonstrated in most of the counties. Weld county is the largest county in 
the state in area, and has more teachers, more children, and more school 
districts than any other of the sixty counties considered in this survey. 
The average assessed valuation for eight years of the 107 third class' school 
districts in that couuty was $3,173,587. The average special school tax 
levied ou all these districts during the same period was 9.7 mills on the 
dollar. This rate would yield $30,783 each year on the above valuation. 
Weld couuty had, during this period, one first and two second class school 
districts. The average special tax levy in the three for the same eight years 
was 16 mills. The difference between the special school tax in these three 
districts and that in the 107 country districts was 6.3 mills. This would 
produce $20,000 when computed on the assessed valuation given above. This 
amount would add $1,000 to the salary of tlie county superintendent, making 
it $3,000 instead of $2,000, as it is at present. It would employ a county 
supervisor of elementary agriculture, to organize this work in all the schools 
of this county. It would provide the salary for a county supervisor of cook- 
ing and sewing and the domestic arts. It would provide the salary for a 
county supervisor of primary work ; a county supervisor of penmanship and 
drawing ; a county supervisor of music, and a county supervisor of reading. 
The following salaries could be paid: 

Supervisor of agriculture, salary and expenses $2,200 

Supervisor of domestic arts, salary and expenses 1,800 

Supervisor of primary work, salary and expenses 1,500 

Supervisor of penmanship, salary and expenses 1,500 

Supervisor of music, salary and expenses 1,500 

Supervisor of reading, salary and expenses 1,500 

Added to salary of county superintendent 1,000 

$11,000 

The remainder of .$9,000 would add enough to the salary of every 
teacher in the 107 districts to eciual the amount paid the teachers in the 
three districts above. This could be done, and the country people of this 
wealthy and prosperous county would pay no higher school tax than the 
good citizens of Greeley, Eaton, and Windsor, all in the same county. 

The country people paid only 60 per cent as high a rate of school tax 



COLORADO RURAL AND VILLAGE SCHOOLS 49 

as did those of these three urbau districts. Not only do the city residents 
pay from two to three times as much for the support of their schools as 
their country neighbors, but there is scarcely a word of opposition to school 
taxes in towns and cities, while it constitutes the chief objection to school 
improvement in the country. 

There is one county in Colorado in which there are twenty-five third 
class school districts, no two of which paid the same average rate of school 
tax during these eight years. The district having the lowest eight-year 
average levied 2.5 mills, the one having the highest levied 13 mills. 
Here are two districts in the same county where the farmers in one as- 
sessed themselves five times as high, or paid five times as high a rate of 
tax for school purposes as did those in the other districts. The point is 
this, all these districts are buying education, and yet often under exactly 
the same conditions, no two pay the same price for it. There is* good argu- 
ment here for a uniform county tax for all such school districts in all these 
sixty counties. The eight-year average for all these twenty-five districts was 
7.4 mills. Now it happens that there is a second class school district in 
this same county that is known over a great part of the state for the high 
standard and etticiency of its schools. Its average special school tax for 
the eight-year period was 26 mills — the highest tax paid by any school 
district in Colorado. The good people of this splendid district voluntarily 
taxed! themselves ten times as high each year of the eight, as did one third 
class district in the same county, while the rate paid was more than three 
times as high as the eight-year average for these twenty-five third-class dis- 
tricts in the same county. 

There might be some reason for this condition if education were a purely 
local matter and concerned only the district in which the children live, but 
many people are coming to believe that it is of vital concern to the whole 
county and that the state and nation have a vital interest in education. 
For if there is any connection between the thorough education and training 
of men and women and their subsequent success in life, and many people 
believe there is, then a poor and inefficient school, in a degree at least, 
becomes a menace to the whole county and to the whole state. 

It is perfectly clear from the records of the great majority of the dis- 
tricts surveyed, that they have fallen far short of availing themselves of the 
legal limits of revenue that were available. They only used 50 per cent of 
their resources, and it is quite evident from what has already been said 
that the general efficiency of these districts was much below what it should 
and could have been made, and it is perfectly clear that the inrelligent ex- 
penditure of more money would have increased their efficiency. 

That 50 per cent representing their unused resources would have pro- 
vided most all the opportunities now enjoyed by city children, such as better 
equipment, more experienced and better trained teachers, principals and 
supervisors, all of which would have made it possible for these schools to 
have served the boys and girls better who attended them. Part of their 
failure could have been avoided in this way, but not all of it, for there is 
great waste in the district system, not only waste of money, but of time, 
effort and opportunity, and much of this waste is unavoidable for reasons 
that are well known and need not be mentioned here. 



50 



COLORADO AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE 



It is not the intention here to accuse the people of these districts of not 
supporting their schools by voting sufhcient taxes, but to show to what ex- 
tent that has been done, and compare that with what is done in some city 
schools. 

There are some grounds for argument as to just how much the farmer 
should increase his taxesi for the support of his schools, at least until he can 
have reasonable assurance that this additional expenditure of money will 
really add to their efficiency and that it will produce better results than 



Fig. IX. 



Special Tax Resources and the 
Amount That Actually was Levied 
on a.r\ Avera^ by All Third Class Districts 

in Ei^ht Years 1906'- 1913 Inclu-sive. 
Maximum Levy That Mi^ht Have Been Made 

I^.Z Mills. 




Used. 



CD Not Used 



COLORADO RURAL AND VILLAGE SCHOOLS 51 

that already spent. This is something that the farmer has a right to re- 
quire at the hands of tetichers, principals, superintendents, and all others 
engaged in educational work in Colorado, and this is precisely the thing 
that those who are entrusted with the education of the farmers' children 
and the management of his schools have not yet done. If they are not 
able to do it, or willing to try it. then the farmer cannot be blamed for the 
way he supports his schools. 

TEACHERS AND SALARIES. 

It is unnecessary here to discuss the importance of the teacher in the 
school system in general, and it is only necessary to state that in these 
third class districts the teacher constitutes the greater part of the system. 
Almost the whole responsibility for the success of the school falls upon the 
teacher. No help in methods of instruction or management can be expected 
from the patrons, for they have employed the teacher for that purpose, and 
even if some were able to assist, their work is along- different lines, which 
take all their time and energy, and in practice no help comes from this 
source. But little, if any. help can or does come fi-om the school board, the 
members of which do not claim to be educators, and the majority of whom 
rarely, if ever, visit the school. So the teacher can expect little help from 
within the district, less from the county organization, and still less from the 
state. Thus in actual practice the teacher stands or falls alone. 

We like to think that we have a splendid system of public schools in- 
cluded in one grand co-operative organization of district, county and state, 
but such is not the case. The school system ceases at the district boun- 
daries as far as the serious work of education is concerned, for if the 
teacher cannot and does not meet and overcome the difficulties and solve 
the problems as they arise, the school is a failure. To be sure, there is a 
county superintendent in each county, but there is no eifective supervision 
of these schools, and there can be none under the present system. Tieneral 
school visitation by the patrons and school boards is a lost art, if it ever was 
in vogue, while the expert and close supervision provided for in all city 
schools in this state is entirely lacking in the country schools. So, if under 
such a system but 22 per cent of the average enrollment graduated fro'^^ 
the eighth grade in eight years, all of the Iilame cannot be laid upon the 
teacher, for there is no person employed in this state and placed in such a 
difficult position as is the teacher in our rural schools — and there is no one 
else of whom so much is expected. 

It is doubtful if many, or any, of the states that still have the distric*^ 
unit have better educated or more successful teachers in their rural schools 
than has Colorado, and it is with no feeling that this state is at the foot 
of the list that these conditions are described. Our records give the number 
of teachers employed, their sex. number of months taught during the current 
year, and the salary of each, but they are entirely lacking on the much more 
important items of their education, professional training and experience. So 
it will be necessary to supply the latter information from other sources 
than the survey. 

Many teachers come to Colorado from other states, and quite a number 
of these are compelled to teach in country and small village schools to gain 



52 COLORADO AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE 

residence, obtain experience, and get acquainted in this state before they 
can secure positions in the city schools. Some of these are well trained a- 
experienced, and they will often teach a year or two in country schools in 
order to establish a reputation to enable them to secure a town or city posi- 
tion. Then there are quite a number of the graduates of our own col- 
leges, universities, and teachers' college, who, finding themselves unable to 
secure a position in a graded school without actual school-i-oom practice are 
compelled to take a country school, or none- From these and other similar 
sources, we are able to get many good teachers, but as a rule most all such 
teachers secure positions in the larger third class districts where the schools 
are located in small towns and have several teachers. Those desiring to 
teach who have had but a little advanced work, the high school gradu- 
ates, and those with less than a high school education, whose qualiflcations 
city and town superintendents will not recognize, are forced farther and 
farther out into the open country. These statements are not intended to 
•^pply to any of those teachers whose qualifications are equal to the best in 
city systems, but who prefer to teach in our best rural schools^ 

But it must be admitted that after all such exceptions have been made 
that the education, professional training and experience of the great ma- 
jority of the teachers in the districts under consideration fall far short of 
the minimum requirements of graded schools. Practically all of this class 
of teachers begin their work in the counti-y schools without any previous 
experience, with no professional training, with only a high school education, 
and very often less, while a large number of them are but little older than 
their oldest pupils. The great majority of our beginning teachers are bright, 
intelligent and resourceful young men and women, and the only thing that 
can be said against them is that they are lacking in education, i>rofessional 
training, are immature and lacking both in teaching and life experience, all 
of which most of them will get in due time, but they get these things by 
experimenting on country children, and as these records show, a very large 
per cent of the patients do not survive the shock of the operation. This is 
something that is not tolerated under any circumstances in graded schools, 
but is practiced with impunity in the country. It is not sufficient to say that 
most of the teachers in the country schools have a fair education, and that 
under the circumstances they do fairly well. They should be equally as 
well trained for their work and the standards for country teachers should 
be just as high as is required of other teachers doing the same grade of 
work. There are just/ as good arguments for a single standard for teachers 
as for morals, and the country teacher should be just as well prepared for 
work in the rural schools as city teachers are for city schools. Probably 
the weakest point in the district system is the manner of selecting teachers, 
for since the teacher is the most important factor in the school, a mistake 
in selecting a teacher is fatal to the school, and means not only a poor year's 
work, but often the loss of a year for all, or most all of the pujiils. This 
is usually loss that cannot be repaired, for there is no disappointment so 
discouraging and disheartening for school children as repeated failure to 
pass their grade. This one thing probably accounts for more children 
quitting school than any other, and it is most often caused by poorly trained, 
inexperienced, and unsuccessful teachers. Let it be said in passing that 



COLORADO RURAL AND VILLAGE SCHOOLS 53 

many school boards in these districts seem to be satisfied and content to 
employ teachers for the schools which their children attend, who (ould 
secure positions in no other schools. 

In computing the total number of teachers, the total number who were 
employed at one time during the year, and not the number of different 
teachers employed, was taken. For example, if a one-teacher school em- 
ployed three different teachers during the school year, liut one teacher was 
counted, the object being to determine the number of teachers necessary to 
opei'ate the schools. 

The total number of teachers employed in all these districts was 19,563, 
of whom 3,208, or sixteen per cent were men and 16,355, or eighty-four per 
cent, were women. Lake county employed ninety-eight teachers in the rural 
schools in the eight years, all of whom were women, and no child in these 
schools came under the influence of a man teacher during this time, while 
in Das Animas county almost 35 per cent of the teachers were men, which 
was the largest per cent for the larger counties. Jefferson county employed 
509 teachers, only 6 per cent of whom were men, while Adams county em- 
ployed 438, only 5 per cent of whom were men. Table XI. shows the num- 
ber of men teachers, their distriltution over the eight years and throughout 
the thirty-five districts in Adams county, while Table XII. shows the same 
for the women teachers. Some of these districts employed from twentyfive 
to forty-six teachers in the time covered by the survey, and not a man was 
employed. Twenty-seven of the thirty-five districts employed no men teachers 
in the whole eight years. This was true of the majority of the 1,725 dis- 
tricts, and in most of the counties the per cent was very low. Where men 
teachers were employed, it was usually as principals in the small towns and 
the larger country schools, and it is quite evident from the figures given, that 
education has nearly ceased to be a man's job, at least in the country schools. 
This is said as a statement of fact, and not as a criticism upon women teach- 
ers. ]\Iany things combine to make this so. Among these may be mentioned 
low salary, employment for only a part of the year, the fact that teaching 
a country school usually leads nowhere for a man, while it is a stepping- 
stone to a graded school for women, and a chief reason is that the district 
system makes no provision for a resident teacher. So most all conditions 
combine to favor the employment of women, instead of men teachers. 




This i.s a picture of ji iiio«lel of the first school hoiLso ever built iu Colorado. 
It ^vas Imilt ill Boulder ooiiiity in tSOO. 



54 



COLORADO, AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE 



TABLE XI. 

ADAMS COUNTY, COLORADO. 



1 1906 1 1907 1 1908 | 1909 | 1910 | 1911 | 1912 | 1913 | Total 

Dist. No. 1 1 1 1 1 i 1 1 


Dist. No. 2... 1 1 j ' ' - 1 ^ 






Dist. No. 6 . . 1 1 1 - ' 1 1 1 1 


Dist. No. 9 1 1 ^1 1 1 1 1 


Dist. No. 10 1 1 1 1 1 ' ' 
















Dist. No. 29 1 1 -j 1 '^ 1 ^ 


JJISC. i\0. 3U 1 1 1 1 '' 1 1 — i 1 1 

Dist. No. 31 1 1 -j 1 j [ — = j J ^ j ^ 

Dist. No. 32 1 1 "1 j r, \ '- ' 


Dist. No. 33 1 1 1 j -. 1 ■ 1 2 

Dist. No. 34 1 1 -| j ! ' 1 

Dist. No. 37 1 1 1 j ! ' 1 


Dist. No. 38 1 1 1 i ' 1 

Dist. No. 52 1 1 1 1 : j ' 1 

Dist. No. 53 1 1 — j 1 ' ' 1 


Dist. No. 61.. 1 1 1 1 1 L ' 1 


Dist. No. 62. ... 1 1 1 1 1 1 ! ' 


Dist. No. 71 1 1 1 1 • 1 1 ! 




Dist. No. 95 1 1 1 1 1 1 j \ 1 




Total 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 Q — 1 7. \ 5 ii 





Out of these thirty-flve districts, only eig-ht emDloved 



men teachers at any 

employed one-half 

the 

me 



COLORADO RURAL AND VILLAGE SCHOOLS 



55 



TABLE XII. 

ADAMS COUNTY, COLORADO. 

Women Teachers, Their Number and Distribution Over the Eight Years and 

Throughout the Different Third Class School Districts. 



1 1906 1 1907 1 190S | 1909 | 1910 | 1911 | 1912 | 1913 1 Total 


Dist. No. 1 1 *3 1 4 1 5 1 5 1 5 1 5 | 5 | 5 | 37 


Dist. No. 2 1 1 1| 11 11 11 1| 11 11 ^ 


Dist. No. 3 1 11 11 11 11 1 1 *1 1 *1 1 11 8 


Distr^^o:"4 1- — 1 1 11 1 1 *i 1 *i 1 *i 1 11 «._ 

Dist. No. 5 1 1 1 1 1 1 - 1 ^ 1 '■^ 1 S 


Dist. No. 6 1 1 — 1 1— 1 1 11 * 1 ^1 "* 

Dist. No. 8 1 11 1 1 11 11 11 11 11 11 ^ 


r..- Kn 9 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 3 1 3 1 18 _ 


Dist. No. 10 1 1 1 11 11 11 11 11 1,1. ^ ' * 


Dist. No. 11.......I 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 * 


Di^T-TSTrT-R \ 2 1 3 1 3 1 3 1 3 1 3 1 3 1 3 1 ^a 


DlitTNo. 16....T7:r"4 1 5 1 5 1 6 1 6 1 6 1 6 1 8 1 46 


Dist. No. 20 1 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 ^1 * 


ni«t Nn. 2.S 1 11 11 1. 1 1 1 *1 1 11 11 i 1 » 


ni«t. No. 24 1 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 ** 


Dist. No.- 26 1 11 11 11 11 11 2 1 2 1 2 11 


rM^trN^r28:n:T7T"*2 1*21*21*21*^1 31 3 _*2 is 


Di^trNor29:TT^_^^^__j_i_^_i_j^^_jLJ ?J ?U ^ 2 15 


Diir^^^r3^^ZninZOZ^LZinz^2_Lj:2j_*2^^ 




Dist. No. 33 1 1— 1 1 1 \ n -— 

dFTTnTT-Iu— T-..I 11 11 11 11 11 1^ 11 ^ ^ 


Dist. No. 37 1 1 1 11 11 1 1 1 ' 1 


Di«t. No. 38 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 | Z \ ^ \ - 1 xo 


T^^;r^7r"52:T.....I 11 11 11 11 11 11 1.1 ^' "" 


Pist M. Ra i 11 11 1 1 1-1 1 1 11 '- \ 1 „ 


T^^^^^f^Kn;^7r. . . . .\ 21 ii 11 11 11 -^i y \ ii » 


f^T^r^TwnTTTr:..! 11 11 11 11 11 11 1 1 — ^^^ ^ 


T^T^t-N7ni27nT7:i 11 11 11 lU in 11 — in — ^_i — ^ 


T^^^t-Nrr^TTT7:T:7r 11 11 11 11 11 ii ^ ^ — ^n — ^ 


DTSTN^nrnr;..! 1 ii__i__i_nn_nj_J lj -^ .-^n — ^ 


■nist. No. 95 1 1| 11 1| 1' ' = — 1 T' — 


^ifti. J , 2 2 216 

ruc-t N" 97 al J| ■i \ -1 -1 ■"! ^ 


T.i«t No. 98 1 2 1 2 1 2 i 2 1 2 1 Z | ^ | ^ | lO 


^^^^^-Ap^.tij r42 1 44 1 46 1 51 1 49 1 56 1 63^_66 | 438 



No school. 



There is sreat variation in the salaries i.aid in the different districts 
and the different connties. The lowest salary tonnd in any one-teacher 
school for a single year was $20 per nu.nth, while the highest in the same 
kind of school was $133 per month. Archnleta county paid women teachers 
a hi-her average salary than men teachers. Adams county paid hoth the 
same" while all others paid a higher average salary for men than women 
teachers The difference in salary can probably all be accounted for be- 
cause manv of the men teachers were principals of schools having two or 
more teachers, and larger salaries are usually paid for such positions 

The highest average salary for any county was $sl per month, while the 



56 



COLORADO AORLri'LTlRAL COLLEGE 



lowest was Jf;;J9 per month. The number of men and women teachers in 
each county, and the average salary for each, and tV-r both, are given in 
Table XIII. 

The counties are divided into eight groups, according to the average 
salary of each. One cminty paid an average of .$N1 per month; sLx paid 
between $70 and .$80; twenty paid between .$60 and .$70; twenty-three paid 
between $50 and $60; nine paid between $40 and $50, while one paid less than 
$40 per month for the eight years. Our present minimum term and salary 
law requires not less than 120 days of school, at a salarv of not less than 
$50 per month in each district. This law was not in force during these eight 
years. In ten counties the eight-year county average was less than now 
required by law. Of course, there were districts in other counties that fell 
below one or the other of these limits in the eight years, but not many below 
both the 120 days of school and $50 per month. Only one^seventh of the 
children of the state lived in counties where the eight-year average salary 
was less than $50 per month while if the average were taken for the year 
1913 only, instead of for eight years, the number of children and districts 
affected would be much less. 

It is perfectly clear from the records that while a large number of 
teachers received low salaries, and that a large number of children lived in 
such districts, still it is equally clear that the great majority of the children 
lived in those districts where both the length of term and salary were com- 
paratively good. This was true to such a great extent that one is led to 
wonder why better results were not secured for the time and money spent. 
The best answer seems to be that the system does not give results in pro- 
portion to the time and money spent. Most states would think most of 
these salaries enormously high in comparison with their salaries in such 
schools, and it must be admitted that very many country schools pay as 
high salaries as city schools for the same grade of work, and yet the results 
are not satisfactory in these schools: while for the sixty counties, but 22 
per cent conqileted the coui-se in eight years. 



COUNTY 



GILPIN 



HINSDALE 



LAKE 



*CROWLEY 



MINERAL 



SUMMIT .. 

GUNNISON 



TABLE XIIL 

TEACHERS AND SALARIES 
An Eight-Year Average. 



TEACHERS 



Male I Female I Total 



32 



170 I 



202 



SALARIES 



Male 1 Female | Average 
*107 j $55 \ $ 81.00 



55 



64 



$101 



98 



98 



«44 I $ 78.00 



6 
19 



13 
47 



19 
66 



$90 

$83 



_$78_ 

$eF 



26 



109 



$J78.00 
$ 75750" 
$ 75.50 



135 



26 



$90 I $60 



286 



312 



$ 75.00 



$58 



$71.50 



COLORADO RURAL AND VILLAGE SCHOOLS 



57 



TABLK XIII. — Continued. 



COUNTY 


TEACHERS 

Male 1 Female | Total 


l' 


S 
Male 


ALARIE 
Female 


S 
Average 


CLEAR CREEK . . 


. .[ 14 


1 149 


163 


II 


$80 


$59 1 


$ 69.50 


OURAY 


..I 21 


1 107 


128 


II 


$76 


$62 1 


$ 69.00 


EAGLE 


.| 28 


1 231 1 


259 


II 


$75 


$61 1 


$ 68.00 


*JACKSON 


..1 9 


1 43 


52 


II 


$75 


$56 


$ 65.50 


SAN MIGUEL 


. .1 11 


1 125 


136 


II 


$66 


$65 


$ 65.50 
$ 65.00 


LA PLATA 


..[ 84 


1 303 


387 


II 


$68 


$62 


PITKIN 


.1 IS 


1 143 


161 


II 


$69 


$61 


$ 65.00 
$ 64.50 


OTERO 


..1 75 


1 298 


373 


II 


$72 


$57 


DOLORES 

GARFIELD 


. .1 10 
.| 66 


1 25 
1 363 ~ ] 


35 
429 


'if 


$74 
$70 


$54 
$57 


$ 64.00 g 
$ 63.50 t 
$ 63.50 § 
$ 63.50 * 


MONTEZUMA 


..| 56 


1 151 


207 


$68 


$59 


PUEBLO 


. .| 58 


1 441 


499 


II 


$72 


$55 


WELD 


. . 1 246 


1 1>214 


1,460 


II 


$68 


$57 


$ 62.50 


FREMONT 


. .1 51 


1 279 


330 


II 


$68 


$74 


$ 61.00 


ADAMS 


. .1 21 


1 417 


438 


II 


$60 


$60 


$ 60.00 


CHAFFEE 


.1 19 


1 209 


228 


II 


$63 


$57 


$ 60.00 


DELTA 


•1 72 


1 277 


349 


II 


$62 


$58 


$ 60.00 


MESA 


.. 1 160 


i 506 


666 


II 


$63 


$57 


$ (iO.OO 


RIO BLANCO 


. . 1 23 


1 145 


168 


11 


$66 


$54 


$ 60 OO 1 


JEFFERSON 


. 1 30 


1 479 


509 


II 


$70 


$48 


$ 59.50 


BENT 


. .| 20 


1 168 


188 


II 


$66 


$52 


$ 59.00 


ARAPAHOE 


..| 22 


1 292 


314 


II 


$65 


$52 


$ 58.00 


BOULDER 


. .| 62 


1 541 


603 


II 


$63 


$53 


$ 58.00 


LAS ANIMAS 


..| 269 


1 506 


775 


II 


$60 


$56 


$ 58.00 


PARK 


.1 31 


1 168 


199 


II 


$64 


$52 


$ 58.00 


ARCHULETA 


..| 12 


i 92 


104 


II 


$56 


$59 


$ 57.50 


HUERFANO 


. .| 98 


1 354 


452 


II 


$62 


$53 


$ 57.50 


TELLER 


..1 26 


1 121 


147 


II 


$59 


$56 


$ 57.50 


SAGUACHE 


. .| 57 


1 217 


274 


n 


$61 


$53 


$57.00 


MONTROSE 


. .| 49 


1 252 


301 


11 


$60 


$54 


$ 57.00 « 


DOUGLAS 


..| 34 


1 289 


323 


11 


$63 


$49 


$ 56.00 ^ 


♦MOFFAT 


..] 21 


1 41 


62 


II 


$58 


$54 


$ 56.00 '^ 


PROWEPvS 


..1 75 


1 377 


452 


II 


$75 


$51 


$ 56.00 


EL PASO 


. .| 88 


1 616 


704 


II 


$57 


$53 


$ 55.00 


MORGAN 


. .1 30 


1 165 


195 


II 


$57 


$53 


$ 55.00 


RIO GRANDE 


..| 27 


1 168 


195 


II 


$60 


$50 


$ 55.00 


ROUTT 


..| 65 


1 344 


409 


II 


$59 


$51 


$ 55.00 


KIOWA 


. .1 48 


1 183 


231 


II 


$57 


$50 


$53.50 


COSTILLA 


. . 1 101 


1 176 


277 


11 


$55 


$51 


$ 53.00 


CONEJOS 


..[ 81 


1 208 


289 


11 


$54 


$51 


$ 52.50 


LARIMER 


.1 121 


1 579 


700 


li 


$55 


$47 


$ 51.00 


GRAND 


.1 13 


1 115 


128 


II 


$57 


$44 


$ 50.50 


ELBERT 


. .| 59 


1 517 


1 576 


ij 


$56 


$44 


$50.00 


CUSTER 


..1 28 


1 158 


186 


II 


$54 


$45 


$ 49.50 


CHEYENNE 


. .1 49 


1 228 


277 


II 


$50 


$47 


$ 48.50 


LINCOLN 


..| 69 


1 376 


445 


II 


$51 


1 $45 


$ 48.00 g 


PHILLIPS 


..[ 18 


1 260 


278 


II 


$52 


$44 


$ 48.00 ^ 


LOGAN 


..| 54 


1 388 


442 


II 


$48 


$45 


$ 46.50 9 


BACA 


. . 1 51 


1 93 


144 


II 


$47 


$40 


$ 43.50 


YUMA 


. . 1 109 


1 597 


706 


II 


$45 


$41 


$43.00 


KIT CARSON 


. . 1 139 


1 493 


632 


II 


$43 


$41 


$ 42.00 


SEDGWICK 


..| 25 


1 230 


1 255 


il 


$45 


1 $39 


$42.00 


tWASHINGTON . . . 


. .| 65 


1 357 


1 422 


II 


$40 


1 $38 


1 $ 39.00 


TOTAL 


. J 3.208 


1 16,355 


19,563 


l| $3,795 


$3,220 


$7,017.00 


AVERAGE 1 1 


1 


Jl 


$64 


$53 


$ 58.00 



♦Crowley 
foi- three year.s. 



reported for 
tUnder $40. 



two years, Jackson for four years and Moffat 



58 COLORADO AGRICJJLTVRAL COLLEGE 

Fig. X. 



Total Male and Female Teachers 
in 1725 Third Class Districts 
for Eight Years 1906-1913 Inclusive. 
Total No. of Teachers 
19,563 




SITES AND BUILDINGS 

The subject of sites and buildiugs is a very important one. It shows 
what preparation has been made for the education of country children and 
this permanent investment in the school-plant most always measures the 
interest of any community in the education of its children. For in the last 
analysis, sites and buildings do fairly represent the condition of public sen- 
timent m any district, and are the concrete expression of the ideals of the 
lieople with regai-d to education. 



COLOh'ADO RURAL AND VILLAOE SCHOOLS 59 

Of cuiirse, the people now living in a given eoniiminity may not lie the 
same ones who actually planned and erected the school house now in use, 
for in many cases this was done hy the pioneers who first settled the country. 
Still, the fact that those now living in such districts permit such buildings 
to he used, as are found in many places in this state, makes them more 
guilty in this respect than the pioneers who built to meet entirely different 
conditions. So connnunities and the people who live in them are judged not 
only by what they do, but also by what they fail to do, or refrain from 
doing. It is within the power of any district at any time to improve its 
school house and grounds, if it so desires, if these are not up to the standard 
that they shcmld be. The fact that a school house built twenty-five years ago 
is still in use, unchanged and unimproved, is strong evidence that the people 
are satisfied with things as they are, and that public sentiment for better 
things has not been strong enough to bring about improvements. It may be 
that some people in the district may not be satisfied, but the majority seem 
to be. and majority rules in schools as in other things. 

The utter inadequacy of the school plant, as found in most of the school 
districts here considered, is sufficient to account for much of the failure of 
these schools. This is very clear to anyone who will visit a large number 
of these districts in different pai'ts of the state, and it is still more con- 
vincing to the one who will investigate the records of all these districts on 
this item. The school houses and grounds not only show the need of the 
expenditure of more money, but the dilapidated and unkept condition of 
many of them clearly shows the lack of intelligent care. 

Color-ado probably has as good school houses as many other states, even 
better than some, and while there are many school houses that are built 
of good materials in a substantial manner, and cost considerable money, still 
when due allowance has been made for all of these, there are few items, on 
which our schools make a poorer showing than they do on sites and build- 
ings. Most of the buildings are of the traditional type that has been in 
use for so many years; and it does not matter what the exterior appearance 
of the Imildings may be — the inside of all is very much the same. If it is 
a one-teacher school, it has but one room in which all pupils, of all ages 
and in all grades must study and recite. Not one of them in a hundred has 
even a small room for recitation, or a place where some of the classes could 
either study or recite, and be free from the noise and confusion in the room 
where all the school work is now done. There is no provision made for a 
place to do some manual training, sewing, cooking, seed testing, milk test- 
ing, and other similar lines of work which should be done in all rural 
schools, and which add so much to their efficiency. If there happens to be 
two or three rooms in the same building, each room or division of the school 
is almost as separate and independent of the others as if located on different 
sites, and without further description, it can be truthfully siaid that most of 
the school houses in these districts are wholly inadequate to meet the needs 
and to do the work that should be done in them. As cheaply Iniilt and as 
poorly arranged as most of the buildings are, as poorly seated, heated, ven- 
tilated, lighted, and furnished, the school grounds are still less oared for. 
But little, if any, attention is paid to play or recreation, and not one district 
in fifty makes any provision for it. 



60 



COLORADO AGRICULTURAL COLLEGIA 




COLORADO RURAL AND VILLAGE] SCHOOLS 61 

A number of districts did uot invest a dollar in sites and buildings 
during the whole eight years, but were apparently content to rent a room in 
a private house, or to use one donated for that purpose. 

All third class districts have been divided into three classes, according 
to the amount of money each invested in sites and buildings. The first di- 
vision includes all districts in which the value of sites and buildings was 
less than $500 on an eight year average. The second division includes all 
districts in each of which the school property was valued at between $500 
and $1,000, while the third includes all districts in which the permanent in- 
vestment was more than $1,000. 

There were 4S4 districts in the first group, in each of which the school 
house and grounds were valued at less than $500, and 10,000 school children 
lived in these districts. This was 27 per cent of the total number of dis- 
tricts, laud 12.5 per cent, or one-eighth of the school census of all the dis- 
tricts. While not one of these districts had buildings and grounds valued 
at as much as $.500, the average for the entire group was out $284, or not 
enough to build a good shed. This i-epresents an investment of $14 per 
census pupil in sites and buildings for these 10,600 country children. 

There were 501 districts, each of which had between $500 and $1,000 
invested in school property, and 16,829 school children lived in these districts. 

This was 29 per cent of the total number of districts, and 20 per cent 
of the school census. The average value of sites and buildings in this group 
was but $693 each, or less than enough to build a good barn. It represents 
an investment of but $20 per census pupil. 

By combining these two groups, we have 985 districts, or 56 per cent of 
the total number in which we find 27,429 children, or 33 1-3 per cent] of the 
total census. The investment in sites and buildings in these two group.^ 
was $18 per census pupil. Here we have more than half of the total number 
of districts, and one-third of the school children living in them, and it can 
be asserted tMt not one of the districts has made adequate provision for 
the education of its children. When we remember that most school houses 
serve three or four generations of school children with but little additional 
cost for the building, the cheapness of rural education is clearly shown in 
these districts. 

There were 740 districts in the group that had an investment of more 
than $1,000 each. This was 44 per cent of the districts, and 54,745 children 
lived in these districts. The average investment per census pupil in this 
group was $38 each, while the average per district was $2,8.52. By carrying 
the comparison one step farther, we find that for the entire 1,725 third-class 
districts the investment in sites and buildings was $32 per census pupil. 

The building resources for all of these districts, as provided by law is 
shown in Figure XI. which also shows what part of the maximum was 
used, and the part that was not used. From this, we see that these dis- 
tricts used but approximately half of their funds which might have been 
made available for use in building and improving their schools. It was also 
shown when considering the Special Tax, that they had used but half of the 
legal limits for maintaining their schools. So, if these schools were in- 
efficient, it was not because more money could not have been raised both for 
building and maintenance, had the people wanted to do so, and had they 



62 



COLORADO AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE 




COIJth'Mxt h'l ir\L A\n VILLAGE ^VIlOOLti 63 

Fig. XI. 



Assessed Valua.tion of All 3rd Class 
School Dists. An 8 Year Av. CI906-I9I3) 

S 149,995,006. 
Bondino' Ability of these Districts 3.5 '^'^ 
Total Amount That Mig^ht Have Been Raised 

S5,24-9, 8 25. 




Used. 



Not Used. 



all voted the limit of three aiifl one-half per cent allowed by law for build- 
ings, and 16.2 mills for running expenses, the average taxpayer would not 
have been impoverished because of the school-taxes. No good reason has yet 
been advanced why country pet>ple should not pay as much for the educa- 
tion of their children as people who live in cities, but the average for all 
the first- and second-class districts clearly shows that they pay from two to 
four times as high a rate of school tax as do third-class districts. This is 
for the current expenses of their schools, while for sites and buildings for 
each dollar paid by all the third-class districts, the first- and second-class 



COLORADO AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE 




COLORADO RURAL AND VILLAGE SCHOOLH 05 

districts paid tliree. The value of all school property in the J, 725 third- 
class districts for the eight-year period was $2,643,905, while the city of 
Denver alone valued its school property at -$4,704,555, or nearly twice as 
much, which makes an investment of $90 per census pupil, as compared to 
$32 in all third-class districts. The city of Greeley alone valued its school 
property much in excess of the value of the 484 country districts in the 
tirst group given above, and still these districts had five times as many child- 
ren as Greeley. The cities of Colorado Springs and Pueblo each valued its 
school plant at more than twice the amount given for the 501 districts in 
the second class. The cities of Denver, Colorado Springs, Pueblo, Greeley, 
Boulder, Grand Junction, and Trinidad, had a combined school census of 
82,313, as compared to 82,174 in all the third-class districts — lalmost exactly 
the same number of children, and yet these city school systems valued their 
school property at $7,000,823, while all the third-class districts combined only 
amounted to $2,643,905. All this would seem to indicate that our country 
children are not getting a square deal. 

While the city children enjoy the best that the ablest talent can pro- 
vide, and the best that money can buy, our country children must be con- 
tent with the ragged edges of our public school system, and yet the producing 
value of the farms and lands within these country districts is many times 
as great as that of all the towns in the entire state. These 1,725 country 
districts ARB COLORADO, Avhile all of our cities, with all their population 
and all their wealth, make but a dot on the map of the state. Of course, if 
city schools are efficient, it is because their system is efficient. It is because 
education is in the hands of trained teachers, principals and superintendents, 
and all these, and other things, are made possible because the city people 
are taxed to pay for them ; and if these country schools are poor, and the 
majority of our country children are not even getting an elementary educa- 
tion, it is because the rural district system does not give good results, and 
for the further reason that the country people have, not been willing to tax 
themselves sufficiently high to raise money enough to make the present 
system as efficient as it might be made with better buildings, better equii> 
ment, ample grounds for play, and a small school farm in each district, with 
better trained teachers, better paid superintendents and adequate super- 
vision — in most of which they are sadlyi lacking now. 

THE DISTRICT SYSTEM. 
It has been clearly shown that the people did not invest but half their 
legal resources for buildings and grounds, land it is reasonable to presume 
that better buildings, with better equipment and more ample playgrounds 
oipiipiied with apparatus, with a small school farm, at least in the stronger 
districts, would have liad a tendency to make school life more interesting 
and attractive for these boys land girls, with the result that more of them 
would have continued in school until they finished the course. It has also 
been made^ equally clear that on the average, these districts raised but half 
the money that the law allowed them to raise for current expenses, and 
there is no doubt but if some of the unused resources for maintenance biad 
been used to lengthen the term, to employ better trained and more expe- 
rienced teachers, special ttjachers, supervisors, and pay larger salaries to 



66 COLOR MU) AC, ni CULTURAL COLLEGE 

county superintendents, this would liave added much to the etiiciency of the 
schools, so that for tlie eight-year period, more than twenty-two out of each 
one hundred enrolled would have graduated from the eighth grade, even 
under the present system. 

But after all, it is a question whether more money, either for sites 
and buildings, or for maintenance, is the thing that is most needed in these 
schools. It would seem from the facts given that there is something fun- 
damentally wrong with the district system, and that a complete reorgani- 
zation is more necessary than the expenditure of more money, uuich as 
that is needed- 

As was said in a preceding paragraph, each district is a unit, separate 
and independent of all others, even in the same county, and there are as 
many systems in a county as there are different districts- Each may, and 
actually does, perform all the functions of education in the conduct of its 
schools without reference to what any other district in the same county 
may do, and so long as the school board does not violate a few restrictions 
placed upon it by law, there is no authority outside the boundaries of the 
district that can dictate how the schools should be conducted. Each dis- 
trict has its own board of three members, none of whom claim to be educators, 
yet they are charged with practically all of the important duties in the 
management of their schools. The trouble is not so much with the school 
directors, as it is with the system that makes it necessary for them to try 
to perform duties for which they have had no opportunity to prepare them- 
selves. The administration and supervision of city schools is lodged in the 
hands of people who have had special training and years of experience to fit 
them for tlieir work, while every teacher in the system must have a thor- 
ougli education with Normal training and successful experience. Yet the 
system now- in use in the rural schools of this and many other states is 
arranged on the theory that three persons in each district can, and will, 
take enough of their own time from their own work to see that their schools 
are efficient. No matter how ideal this arrangement may lie as a theory, 
it never has given satisfactory results in practice, and there is no reason to 
expect it to do so, for if the boards of the average third-class districts 
should actually perform all the duties required of them to make their schools 
efficient, they would do it at an expense of time and effort and loss of money 
to themselves that the rest of their conununity has no right to require of 
them. The unit is too small, and does not have within its boundaries the 
things necessary to make a good school, while co-operation betw^een inde- 
dependent disti*icts, where each is a system by itself, has never yet been a 
success in this state. Five districts could employ a music teacher, a drawing 
teacher, one to teach agriculture, manual training, domestic science, or other 
subjects, and this person could spend a full day or two half-days in each 
school each week, and add greatly to their efficiency, but this is not done, 
because co-operation of the kind that is necessary to make good schools is 
almost an impossibility between independent districts, and what each dis- 
trict cannot, or does not, provide for itself it goes without. 

The district system was organized and built up on the theory of giving 
each community a school of its own, and separateness audi independence are 
its distinguishing chiaracteristics. 



COLORADO RURAL AND VILLAGE SCJIOOL.S 67 

One of the greatest co-operative enterprises of moderu times is public 
education, and its greatest success depejids upon tlie co-operation of every 
citizen in comparatively large units, a condition wliicli the small districts 
do not meet. Each stands or falls alone, since most of them do not possess 
the things necessary to make a good school, and since co-operation between 
them is practioally impossible. There is every degree of variation between 
these 1,725 districts. They vary in area from a little more than one section 
of land to many townships ; in assessable property on which taxes maj' be 
levied to build and support schools, from $250 to more than $1,000,000. 
They vary in number of children from an average of one in a district to 
340 ; in number of teachers, from one to IS ; in the value of buildings, from 
nothing to $25,000, while there is but little uniformity in length of term, 
taxes, or results. Other things being equal, the smaller the number of dis- 
tricts in a county, the greater is the efficiency of the system, and the greater 
the uniformity throughout the county in all things that make for better 
schools. To illustrate this point, two counties may be compared — they are 
Cheyenne and Weld counties. Cheyenne county is situated on the east 
central border of the state in, the semi-iarid, or "dry -farming" section of tlie 
great plains. It has an area of 1,500 square miles, which indicates that it 
is a comparatively large county. It all lies in the great plains, and its 
surface is uniformly level. It has its population scattered all over its sur- 
face, and its school-houses are eiiually well distributed. In most respects, 
it is like a number of dther counties in the same part of the state, but is 
unlike those that surround it, as well as most of the others of the state, in 
that it has but nine districts, while some of its near neighbors under exactly 
similar conditions, have as many as eighty-seven different districts in the 
same county. The nine districts with their nine school boards, manage the 
educational affairs of the entire county. There are sixty-five school buildings 
in the county, and all except three or four are one-teacher schools. One 
district has thirteen one-teacher schools, all under the direction of three 
directors, and when these schools are compared with those in adjoining 
counties where each one-room school is an independent district with three 
directors, they do not suffer by comparison, because of the lack of school 
directors. The schools of Cheyenne county show a higher degree of efficiency 
in eighth grade graduates than certain good farming counties that have 
fifty districts, 150 school directors, and ten times as much wealth as this 
dry-land county. It is not impossible to get the nine boards and twenty- 
seven directors to agree upon county uniformity in certain things, and the 
county superintendent has done this, to the great improvement of the 
schools. There is entire uniformity between the different schools within 
the same district, and in certain respects between the diff'ei'ent districts. 
It was surprising, when visiting schools in this county, to find that the 
I)eople who patronize the different schools in the same district seemed 
entirely satisfied with the present arrangement, and no complaint was heard 
that one school got a better teacher, a better school-house, better books, or 
more attention from the members of the school board than others in the 
same district. The county superintendent stated that there was no demand 
in the different parts of the county for the formation of new districts by 
the further division of the nine which now include all the territory of the 



68 COLORADO AORIVLLTIRIL COLLEGE 

county. With their districts in this couditiou, where each has from four 
to tliirteeu schools, each district cau, aud is warranted in, employing a 
supervising principal to visit and supervise all of the schools in the district. 
This is now being considered in some of the districts, aud should the time 
come when all nine employ such a person, the county superintendent will 
then have a corps of assistants that will make rural school supervision a 
reality in one Colorado county, as it has already come to be in the counties 
of a few other states. 

Let us now contrast Weld county with Cheyenne. Weld is the wealthiest 
and one of the most prosperous and well developed agricultural counties in 
Colorado. In area it is larger than the state of Rhode Island, and has 107 
independent third-class school districts — more than any other county in the 
state. Most of the children in Weld county live under conditions that are 
very favorable for the higliest type of rural schools, and their present 
schools compare favorably with the best in the state, but we are comparing 
the school systems of the two counties. There are 107 districts and as 
many systems in Weld county, for there is practically no co-operation be- 
tween the different districts. There are 107 different school boards consist- 
ing of 321 directors, and a majority of each board is necessary for any kind 
of county uniformity. In practice this is obviously impossible, both because 
of the number of independent units concerned, the number of persons in- 
volved, and the utter improbability of the county superintendent ever being 
able, or having the time, to see or communicate witli the different boards 
and members in a way that will get unity of action and results. These 
districts have more than 150 school-houses, employ 260 teachers, and had 
an average school census of 7,522 children, whose only supervision is the 
annual visit of the county superintendent. There is little hope, with the 
large number of districts involved that this prosperous county can ever 
adequately improve its rural schools by co-operation between these 107 
districts. The tendency is not in that direction. During all of these eight 
years these districts might, and could have, co-operated to employ a suffi- 
cient number of supervisors to properly supervise and harmonize the work 
of these schools in this large county, but they did not do it. One of the 
things they most need is supervision, aud if economy had been necessary, 
each district could have shortened its term two weeks, and the money thus 
saved could have been u.sed to employ four supervisors for all of the schools, 
and with this supervision and a two weeks shorter term, the schools could 
have been made better than they were. 

It is not at all uncommon for a teacher to finish the term without a 
member of tlie school board or a patron visiting the school, and where such 
visitation is common, both by school boards and patrons, it amounts to but 
little more than a conunendable manifestation of interest in education, and 
the schools need something more than mere visitation. They need an or- 
ganization that will permit intelligent administration by a comparatively 
small board acting for the third-class districts in each county. Such a board 
could and would employ expert and experienced superintendents, skilled 
supervisors for all the schools, special teachers for special subjects, and 
principals and teachers with the highest qualifications obtainable. This 
would put the conduct of rural schools into the hands of people who are 



COLORADO RURAL AND VILLAGE 8CH00L.S 



69 



MAP OF 

SCHOOL DISTRICTS 

CHEIYEINNE COUNTY COLORADO 




riii.s is II fairly uo<mI arriiiiK'eiiieiit of (lie rti.striets, one of Uie best in <lie sllite. 





no 


B64 


«,. 




T.,., ""T "■" " 


.:„-:.:: :_:__:_: 














"■ 




1 


_g 




-.IN "45 " 85 4 fi9 


93 


















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■^■ 






t — ■ 




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i ^ 




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T 9 N 






67 Z4 __.._,. 








I ' M ~ ~ 






._I _ _i ; . 




R"^^- — K " ;:;." "■ ' " 






L 






T « ~ 7:H : 4 4 7? 






' ,^ ' 1 '62 1 ' l'07 


T £2 106 9L 


1 M 1 1 ' 1 1 11 ■-. } • ' 1 1 1 1 






rn 1 — ^T7m TiJ 


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ll'oi I166 53^ -J. 178 ' 


^ J ^ l^J 


T7~ri"" r II sr:^i4i .so i ■ i i iinc, i 






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n a " 






















1 J 1 H -1 r L ^ 1 1 J 1 






«M 4- rTS— T"^^-/'' H3 '* "^i J ' J 






n r7(' ic p Ki ^ 60J *--T— -^ cH 7 L '54 1 11 


35 




'SI I'^l 1 [1/168 86 1 ^ 














1 :22L_7ai 1 851 er-wT-yr rv^ 3io i i i i 


1 




-"h ^ '1 "°--^. ■ 1^ 


1 




I A \" d^ AeC . 9a_LS — I da 


r\.m_ 


1 7 I I 2:4, n.iia^Lii i_i r7 3i K 1 .1 , i 






1__ fi4 fl>*-r T. 1 . v, 


1 


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lel 50J /-/se ^,9 , ,. 81. 72 1 — 




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. j.,HiqU-Ij414^^. II U 




3:./itf-^-^' ^^ :tt|#- 4m W =========- 




— II. 1 J " 1 :i ; 


::::: SCHOOL DISTRICTS 




■ 4 ' . r , r 




-. 1 . 1 ■ -I . U-J : 




"HZi-" , 104 1 . . i- M 1 1 1 

^f ^4 , , J .,iJO ,.i(^i.£__| -1. ,96. 1 8|2;_ !.:.. 1 


^ WELD COUNTY 

ij 'i 1 


■i:6 4.^ |ior|i9',.23 1 ■ : ■ i^fib !'"" - M 


1 COLORADO 




" : M 


! ./«/■ 


M 1 1 . II 1 r M ! M 1 M 1 M 1 1 M 11 M 1 I 









A bsitl ease of "Dislrietitis." There are 107 indepenilent tlistriets in tliis eoiinty. 



70 COLORADO AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE 

most coiiipeteut aud be.st preiiared to do ediu-ational work, which is the 
secret of the success of city schools. It may be argued that it is impossible 
to get better trained teachers than are now employed, since we now use all 
available teachers. No large additional supply could be obtained at once, 
but with better paid superintendents, assisted by experienced supervisors 
and a few special teachers, the efficiency of the teachers we now have wt)uld 
be greatly increased, and under the direction of trained supervisors and 
the guidance of professional educiators, these same teachers would have a 
chance to succeed, which they do not have now, and in addition to this, they 
wouldS improve in service. The tenure of position would increase, and with 
this security in their position, most of these teachers would take summer 
courses in the different educational institutions of the state, and make 
special preparation for work in rural schools. 

Country teachers are not "tramp" teachers by choice, but of necessity, 
and if given a chance to get professional training, most of them, would take 
it, a thing which many of them do at the present time. In most districts 
at the present time the teacher is the system, and a change of teachers 
means a change of system, for there is but little of the good work done 
by one teacher that can survive the summer vacation and be helpful the 
following year to her successor. None of these country schools have more 
than nine months of school, and at. the end of this term the system dies in 
each school, for there is nothing to keep it alive, except in a few of the 
larger schools, where several teachers are employed. In city schools the 
superintendent and principal keep the system in continuous existence, while 
this organization does not exist in country districts. 

It has been the aim throughout this bulletin to consider this whole sub- 
ject in a strictly impersonal manner, and to point out the weak points in 
the system, rather than call attention to the faults or failures of county 
superintendents, teachers, school boards, or the patrons of these schools- 
This course has been followed because of a deep conviction that the fault 
is not with the people themselves, but with the system which they are 
expected to operate, and they are to blame only because they are a part of 
the system. The inherent difficulties in the district system are so great 
that they make its successful operation an impossibility in the average 
county in Colorado, and when we add to these inherent difficulties of the 
system itself, the frailties of humanity in its operation, it is not surprising 
that it has not been more successful in these sixty counties. Little hias 
been said about some county superintendents who may not be prepared for 
their work, either educationally or professionally, or a few^ who may be in 
office more because of their abilities as politicians than as educators. No 
glaring pictures have been painted of country teachers who have utterly 
failed, and will continue to fail, and of others who are wholly unprepared 
to teach. No attempt has been made to describe school houses and grounds, 
with outbuildings, many of them, covered with filth and obscenity. Nothing 
has been said about neighborhood quarrels between factions and families 
that are often carried into the schools. No account has been given of the 
lack of education and breadth of vision of some school directors, some of 
whom received their only schooling in these same schools w'hose destinies 
they now help to direct. Nothing has been said about the man who neither 



COLORADO RURAL AXD VILLAUE ^VHOOLU 71 

loves his ueighbor as himself, uor has any regard for the ediioatiou of his 
neighbor's children, and who, either because he has no children of his own, 
or is a non-resident, does not want to pay taxes to educate other people's 
children. These and other difficulties exist in Colorado, but it is safe to 
assert that these things are not found in Colorado to any greater extent 
than they are in other states. There is no reason to make harsh statements 
about the people who live in the districts here described, and accuse them 
of neglect in the care and education of their children, when we stop to think 
and recall the fact that no state in the T'nion has, or has ever had, an 
efficient system of rural schools with the small, weak district as tlie unit of 
its system. Nor is there any reason to expect the average county in Colo- 
rado to ever have a thoroughly efficient system of rural schools with the 
district unit. 

The unit of organization is too small to even permit of intelligent admin- 
istration, while it is almost wholly lacking in supervision. Without a good 
organization, business administration and professional supervision there is 
no reason to expect efficiency in these schools. It is precisely in these three 
respects, and in addition to this, in its teaching force, that these 1,725 dis- 
tricts are most lacking. 

RURAL SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT BY CONSOLIDATION 

OF DISTRICTS. 

It was not the intention to convey the impression in the preceding pages 
that nothing is being done to improve the rural schools of Colorado. There 
are some rural schools that are doing most excellent work, but they are 
few in number when compared with the great numlier that are doing an 
inferior grade of work. 

Since the small, weak districts do not possess the things necessary to 
make a good school, the iiroblem is to so reorganize them, or combine enough 
of them into one new district, so that many of the things lacking in the 
smaller unit may be supplied. This can be best done under existing condi- 
tions by the consolidation of two or more ad.ioining districts, thus including 
a larger area, more taxable property, more people and more children, making 
it possible to erect better buildings, employ more and stronger teachers, and 
have better schools. Many of the present districts are so small that often 
four to six may be included within a radius of four miles from a common 
central point- There is one locality in Larimer county where a circle 
drawn with a four-mile radius will include all of the habitable parts of 
seven separate independent school districts, 500 children of school asre, 
twelve teachers and property with an assessal)le value in excess of .$1,000,000. 

In one locality in ^lesa county a three and one-half mile radius will 
include three three-teacher schools, ?A0 children, and .f;! .000.000 of assessable 
property, while in another a circle of the same radius will include three 
two-teacher schools and 250 children. In Delta county, a three- and a two- 
teacher school are .iust one mile apart on a level road, and the only im- 
passable barrier between them is an imaginary line forming the district 
boundaries. While visiting these schools last year, it was discovered that 
teachers in each district lived beyond the school house of the other, and 



72 COLORADO AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE 

passed each other twice a day in going to and from their schools. Con- 
solidation was suggested here, both to secure a better school and also as a 
convenience for the teachers. So it is in many of the counties, and con- 
trary to the general belief, there are few states where a larger per cent of 
the country children live under conditions more favorable ft)r consolidation 
than in Colorado. There are many, many localities, and in many counties, 
where conditions are all just as favorable for consolidation as they are in 
any other state, and it can be safely said that consolidation will put more 
country children in good country schools, each with a high school, than 
will any other form of rural school improvement. It has been said in pre- 
ceding pages that the great majority of the country children in this state 
live under conditions that are favorable for good schools, and if all these 
would consolidate where consolidation is easily possible and feasible, these 
localities would make more progress in school improvement in a single year 
than they have from the time the districts were established, up to the 
present time. 

Consolidation is not new, and it is not our purpose to discuss its merits 
here, but rather to show what has been done in this state by a method of 
rural school improvement that has proven universally successful in more 
than thirty-five other states. 

Our law permitting the consolidation of districts was i)assed in 1000. 
It is a good law. It is working well wherever districts have united under it, 
and the only difficulty in the way of its extension to hundreds of districts 
is the traditional conservatism of country people, and the fact that it is 
necessary to deal with independent units in bringing about a consolidation. 
Still, there are several splendid consolidated schools in this state, and be- 
cause of the great success of these schools, many other localities are con- 
sidering the subject. Colorado is proud, and has reason to be proud, of the 
consolidated rural schools here described : 

THE LOMA SCHOOL. 

This was probably the first of this type of schools in Colorado, and 
unlike any of the others, there was not an opposing vote on the (luestion of 
consolidation. Three dilapidated old buildings were abandoned without 
the shedding of either blood or teai's, and a magnificent new l)rick 
and stone building, costing .$14,000. quickly took their place. The three 
old ones were not worth $1,400. The new school has been a marked 
success from the beginning, and there is no basis for comparison between 
the poor and inefficient schools in the old buildings and the excellent one 
ever since conducted in the new. In the old schools, the enrollment was 
low, the attendance poor, tardy marks were legion, while an eighth grade 
graduate was almo»st, if not entirely, unknown in all of them- This school 
is located five miles west of Fruita in Mesa county. 

The new school opened in the fall of 1910. with three strong teachers. 
The following year a fourth was added, while at the present time, five 
capable teachers are employed, 145 children are enrolled, and two years of 
high school work are given. The per cent of the census that enrolls, and 
the per cent of the enrollment in average daily attendance, the passing of 
all the children through their grades, and the number of pupils who graduate 



COLORADO RURAL AND VILLAGE .SCHOOLS 



73 



from the eighth grade, prove conclusively that the children appreciate a good 
school, and will attend one and do good work if given the opportunity. 

THE FRUITVALE SCHOOL. 
This school is also located in Mesa county, just two miles east of Grand 
Junction. It does not have one large building as most such schools have, 
but instead, it has three smaller ones, all located on the same grounds. It 
now has eight well trained, experienced and successful teachers, whose 
qualifications are equal to those doing the same grade of work in town 
schools. A full four-years high school is maintained. Last year TOO pupils 
were enrolled, which was practically all the children in the district who 




74 



COLORADO AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE 



were eligible. It would be hard to find a more efficient school, or one doing 
a higher grade of work. The regular subjects are taught fully as well as 
the same branches are in city schools, while the science work is given 
a country application. The text-books are of the very latest and best, the 
etiuipment is good, each building has a musical instrument, and all other 
things necessary for a good school. A milk tester is used in the laboratory 
which has added much interest to the school work, and has been of service 
to the patrons of the school, who frequently have their milk tested by their 
own children. They have done some work in elementary agriculture, and 
a stronger course is being offered this year. Manual training has also been 
added to the course. 




COLORADO RURAL AND VTLLAGE SCHOOLS 



75 




76 COLORADO AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE 

The school board has for several years past used excellent judgment in 
the selection of teachers, in providing them with everything necessary for 
the proper conduct of the school, and in supporting them in every way that 
would make and keep the school at the nuixinumi of efficiency. The school 
board and teachers are supported by a coninmnity of 150 families, all of 
whom take great pride in their school, and show their interest both by giving 
the school tlieir moral support, and by taxing themselves to the limit allowed 
by law to make it as good as it is possible to make it- There is system, 
order, and a purpose in every part of the school work. This school has one 
of the best eipiipped playgrounds found in any rural district in the state. 
This was provided l»y an active and progressive "Mothers' Club," which 
takes a very intelligent interest in educational affairs in the district, both 
at home and in the school, acting upon the theory that the training of 
children is one of the chief duties of motherhood. 

Here, as in any good school, almost every child makes a grade each 
year and comes back the following year to enter the next higher grade. 
The number of eighth grade graduates increases each year, and as fast 
as they complete the elementary course they almost all enroll in their own 
high school where they receive excellent instruction, and from which they 
can easily return to the protection of the parental home each night. One 
transportation wagon has been used for five years. This has been fully as 
satisfactory as the other parts of the school work. The same man has 
furnished the team and driven the wagon since it was first started. He 
receives .$50 per month for his team and his own services, and has fully 
one-half of his time for his own work on school days. He is a man of the 
highest character. He signs a contract that specifies 'his duties, and then 
gives a $500 cash bond for the faithful performance of his duty. In five 
years this wagon has never missed a trip, has never required four horses, 
has never been tardy, and has proven entirely satisfactory to those who 
patronize it. Because of its success, a second wagon has been started this 
year. As has already been said, the teachers are the best that can be 
secured. All the teachers receive as good salaries in this country school as 
they would receive for the same kind of work in town schools. The principal 
is a university trained man, owns his own farm close to the school house, 
and is a permanent resident in the district. He is not employed for just 
nine months and then compelled to look elsewhere for a position for the 
following year, but he holds a three-year contract with his school board, 
and instead of drawing a salary for nine months and then being compelled 
to find other employment, he draws a salary of $90 every calendar month in 
the year. This arrangement works just like it might be expected to work. 
He has already spent two terms in the Summer School of the State Univer- 
sity, and ranks as one of the leading educators in the state in his line of 
work. He keeps the school system alive twelve months in the year, and is 
always on the ground to look after the interests of the school- 

Although this district is comparatively small, still it has enough 
children and enough taxable property within its boundaries to employ eight 
strong teachers, maintain twelve grades, and it does a high grade of work. 
Nor is it entirely lacking in supervision, for the principal spends a part of 
his time in supervising the work of the other teachers. A picture of one 



COLORADO RURAL AND VILLAGE SCHOOLS 



77 



of the buildings, last year's high school pupils, and the wagon that has 
been used for five years, are shown on another page. 

THE APPLETON SCHOOL. 
The Appletou Consolidated School was formed by uniting three districts 
after a two year's campaign and legal battle which did not end until 
decided by the State Supreme Court. The new school is located seven miles 
northwest of Grand Junction. Three buildings were abandoned, one with 
one room, one with two, and one with three. The building is constructed 
of stucco, has ten rooms, two large halls, a principal's office, and a nice 

Fig. XII. 



APPLETON CONSOLIDATED RURAL 
SCHOOL. 

Mesa CoontLj. 
Enrollment and Teachers. 



Grades 
5th 

7th 



35 PUP 
20 


"-^ }One 


Teacher. 


20 
12 


}One 


Teacher. 


16 
17 


} One 


Teacher. 


18 
10 

148 


] One 


Teacher. 


A- 


Teachers 



{9lt-I2 PUPILS) 
I2L1 -_3_ } 



3 Teachers. 
I TeachenManua/ Train i no*. 
"3" Teac hers. 



63 Pupils Take Manual Training-. 

!lnterurban-4l-5cts each per day 
Wa^on - 21 Sets 

The People from this District do not Need to Send Their 
Children avuau from Home toq.Toii/n School to Educate 
Them. The Country is the Place to Educate Chddren. 



78 



VOLOUADO AG in CULTURAL COLIjEOE 



assembly room seated with ol2 c-liairs. It is lighted with electricity and 
owns its own stereopticon. It cost $14,000 and has a three-acre site for 
which $1,000 was paid. Eight teachers were connected with the school last 
year — six on full time, and two on part time. A four-year high school 
course is maintained, and agriculture and manual training are included in 
the course of study. All boys above the fourth yrade took manual training 






-A 


JU 


Jl 'M 



Appletoii .School — The thrt-e nhaiifloiied hiiih1iuj;'s. 



COLORADO RURAL AND VILLAGE SCHOOLS 




Aitpleton Cousolidated School 



one-half day each week hist year. The shop is eiiuipped with fourteen, 
double benclies of the latest model. The school has an orchestra, and can 
furnish music for its own entertainments. 

One hundred and seventy-tive pupils enrolled last year, a part of whom 
were transported on an interurban at tive cents each for the lound trip. 
About twenty-live others were carried to school in a wagon at a cost of 
seven cents each per day. Under the old system, but a small part of the 
few who finished the eighth grade continued their studies in Grand Junc- 
tion's excellent high school, or any other, for such a course meant breaking 
up the home, either for the children, the parents, or both, but today most 
all the pupils enroll in their own high school as soon as they complete 
the elementary course, again proving- that country children will take a 
high school education and do good work, if given the chance. A recent 
visit to this school showed a high grade of work being done. The principal 
is a university trained man, with years of successful experience. He, too, 
lives on his own I'anch near the school he serves. He holds a three-year 
contract with his board, and receives a salary of .$1,200 for nine mouths' 
work. He holds the highest grade certificate granted by the state, while 
the qualifications of his teachers are of the best, and the school is many 
times superior to the old ones it replaced. The fine assembly room, brightly 
lighted, and comfortably seated, is frequently used by all the patrons who 
gather here for school entertainments, musicales, lectures, etc., and in this 
way the new school becomes a social, as well as an educational, center for 
the community. These people have not only provided for their children's 
education, but for their own and their children's entertainment, thus sup- 



so 



COLORADO AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE 



plying, partly at least, one of the great deficiencies in country life. Pic- 
tures of the three abandoned buildings, the new one, and last year's high 
school are sho\Yn on anotlier page. 




THE AVONDALE SCHOOL. 



This school is located a few miles from the city of Pueblo, and was 
formed by consolidating three one-room schools. It has three buildings on 
the same grounds, built on the cottage plan, instead of having one large 



COLORADO RURAL AND VILLAGE HCHOOLti 



,81 




82 COLORADO AGRICULTURAL COLIjEGE 

one. The school ceusus is two hundred and twenty. The enrolhnent the last 
year one hundred sixty-four, four teachers were employed and two years 
of high school work are given. The enrollment in the new school is thirty- 
eight per cent better than it was in the old ones it replaced. The average 
daily attendance in the three old ones was sixty-two per cent of the enrollment, 
while last year it was ninety-two per cent. The number of eighth grade 
graduates has increased fifty per cent. Three transportation wagons are used 
at an average cost of !f47 each per month. Here, as in the other schools de- 
scribed, system, order and good results have rewarded these people in their 
efforts to improve their schools. This school, like the others, has already 
made a record for efficiency and service, of which the School board and 
patrons are justly proud. Here, also, the board has been successful in the 
selection of a princiiial, and the other teachers with correspondingly good 
results. 



THE CACHE LA POI'DRE SCHOOL. 

This splendid school is located in Larimer county six miles west of 
Fort Collins, and exhibits the most remarkable transformation yet wit- 
nessed in rural school improvement in Colorado. A little more than one 
year ago, the people in this conununity were holding school in the six old 
buildings shown in the cut — buildings very similar to 2,000 others in this 
state, but today they are in a class by themselves, for they now have the 
largest, the strongest, and best equipped rural school in Colorado. Four 
districts consolidated, thus uniting five one-teacher schools and one with 
three-teachers. Parts of two adjoining districts were annexed by petition, 
making the e(iuivalent of five districts in the consolidation. The site of 
the new building consists of four and one-half acres of good farming land 
with water right. It has a small orchard of six-year-old apple trees. It has 
ground that will be used for gardens. It has large baseball and football 
grounds, playgrounds for the small children, and room for tennis courts. 
The school board, with commendable wisdom and foresight, remodeled the 
best one of the abandoned buildings and made of it a comfortable six-room 
house in which the principal now lives with his family. Its interior ar- 
rangement is modern and convenient, and it is supplied with pure mountain 
water. This provision of a teacherage makes it possible for the principal 
to be on the school grounds all of the time. 

The school building is constructed of red sandstone and pressed brick. 
It is three stories high, the first floor being eight inches above the level 
of the gronnd. The first floor contains the steam heating plant, coal-bins, 
five rooms in which the janitor and his family live, the toilet rooms, a 
laboratory, and two large rooms now used for play-rooms for the small 
children in stormy weather, and lunch rooms for those who ride to school. 
The second floor has a large hallway and four large class-rooms, while on 
the third floor are three more class-rooms, a rest-room for the women 
teachers, a principal's office, and a large assembly room which will accom- 
modate from 350 to 400 people. The school is supplied with mountain water, 



COLORADO liVUAL .i.Y/J VILLAGE SCHOOLS 



S3 




84 



COLORADO AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE 



and has sanitary drinking fountains on each floor. It is wired for elec- 
tricity, but at present is lighted with gas. The complete plant cost 
$25,000. 

A four-year high school is maintained, in which agriculture and 
farm life subjects have an important pliace. The enrollment for the 
school year 1913-1914 was 277. These pupils were distributed through- 
out the grades and apportioned among the teachers, as shown in 
Figure XIII., which was correct to January, 1914. 



Fig. XIII. 



PRESENT ENROLLMENT 

IN THE CACHE LA POUDRE 

CONSOLIDATED SCHOOL 





/sT- 


' 29 PUPILS 




2>*o 


28 •' 




3'>o 


36 


GRADES 


5 


21 

29 " 




6 


19 




7 


23 




8 


34 



> J TEACHERS 



TOTAL 



219 



HIGH 
SCHOOL 



9^^^17 

10 8 

11 9 
12' 13 



> 3 



TOTAL 



^7 



8 



GRAND TOTAL-SGB PUPILS- 8TEACHERS 



COLORADO RURAL AND VILLAGE HVHOOLS 



85 



Eight capable teachers were employed, and most excellent work 
was done in all departments. High school work had been done in one 
of the old districts, which furnished students with which to start the 
new high school. Although the new school has now been in existence 
but one year, still in this short time it has broken two state records 
for rural schools. On the eleventh of June last, twenty-four country 
boys and girls graduated from the eighth grade in this school. This was 
the largest eighth grade class that ever graduated from a country 
school in this state. At the same time, twelve young men and women 
graduated from a four-year high school course, and this is the largest 
number which has so far graduated from a country high school. One 
young man was twenty-four years of age, and it is very improbable 
that he, or others like him, would go to any city high school. 

Seven regular transportation vans are used to convey 166 children 
to and from school each day. Bach driver signs a contract in which 
the duties that he is required to perform are explicitly defined, and in 
addition to this, each gives a $500 bond for the careful and faithful 
performance of his duty. The average cost per team and driver was 
$4 5 per month. The average cost per pupil was nine cents a day. 
There were no tardy marks made by any of the pupils who rode in the 
wagons, and no trouble of any kind was encountered in the transporta- 
tion. This was true, notwithstanding the fact that last winter wit- 
nessed the worst snowstorm seen since the settlement of this county. 
All railroads were blockaded for several days, the street cars in Fort 
Collins did not run for weeks after the storm, country roads were 
blocked, and most farmers had to drive their stock to the haystacks 




Principal's Cottage, Cache La Poudre School, 



86 



COLORADO Adh'iri LTUHAL COLLEGE 



I 











Higii School (iraduating Class, Cache La Poudre School. 




Football Team, Cache La Poudre School. 



COLORADO RURAL AXD VILLAGE SCHOOLS 



87 




Athletic Field, Cache La Poiulre School. 



for feed. The people in the Cache La Poudre School district took their 
teams and broke their roads. The drivers of the school vans took the 
wheels off their wagons and attached sled runners in their places, and 
everybody went to school in this progressive district. Only four days 
of school were lost in this school, while some city schools were closed 
for eight days, and many country schools for two weeks. 

The enrollment and average daily attendance were near the maxi- 
mum at all times during the year, which is excellent evidence of an 
efficient school. The large assembly room laffords a comfortable and 
convenient place for lectures, school entertainments, musicales, and 
other programs that help to make this school not only an educational 
center, but also a social center for all the people of this prosperous com- 
munity which has 207 families living within the borders of the school 
district. 

It is an inspiration for anyone to visit this country school and see 
the splendid opportunities these children have, to enjoy and profit by 
twelve years of schooling within easy daily reach of their homes. The 
enrollment, attendance, and results of the first year's work prove that 
they appreciate this and are taking advantage of their opportunities. 

The people in all these consolidated schools have made provision for 
the education of their children, and by so doing have made sure that they 
will have a good school within reach, and at the same time they have 
added four more years of home life for their children, for if they go 
away to a town school, they go away from home, and few of them 
ever come back to the old home to stay. These four years of high school 
at the old home and on the old farm ought to be worth 



88 COLORADO AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE 

more to every father and mother than the comparatively small sum of 
money it costs. These are the years when habits are being fixed and 
character is crystalizing, and when the guiding hands of father and 
mother and home influences are most needed by the boys and girls be- 
fore they launch out for themselves on the voyage of life. 

Pictures of the six old buildings, the new one, the principal's cot- 
tage, the high school graduating class, the football team, and the 
athletic field are shown on other pages. 



OTHER CONSOLIDATED SCHOOLS. 

There are a few other consolidated schools in Colorado, but space 
will permit but brief mention of them. A town district and a smaller 
country district consolidated at Fort Lupton in Weld county, thus mak- 
ing a strong district of the second class. A fine new building has been 
completed and an excellent school is being maintained. Two country 
districts consolidated in Montrose county in January of this year, and 
a new building will be in use this year. Another is reported in La 
Plata county where several schools were combined into a much better 
and stronger organization. The last one to date is at Parker, in 
Douglas county, where three districts united and a new building is being 
erected. 

Nothing has been said about the cost of operation of these con- 
solidated schools, except for the transportation. It will be noticed that 
these schools have not been in operation but a short time, and the 
records of the first one established can only be secured for three years 
back, since the report for 1913-1914 cannot yet be obtained. The 
aggregate cost so far has been a little more than the old schools, but the 
first cost would always be more in a change like this, still the per 
capita cost will be but little, if any, greater. The new schools are 
worth three times as much as the old ones, for they educate all of the 
children, and offer a high school training for every child in the district, 
which none of the othei's did. The cost is not out of proportion to the 
service they render, and is such that any country community can easily 
meet it without excessive school taxes. 

None of these cost more for the twelve grades of work provided than 
the nearby town schools giving the same kind of work. They are 
within easy daily reach of all the children of all the people, and have 
already proved conclusively that it costs less to build good schools in 
the country for the education of country children than it does to send 
them to city schools for their high school education. Besides, it makes 
it unnecessary to break up the home, which most country people must 
do who send their children to town schools. This is a poor arrange- 
ment from any standpoint. Those who want their children to have an 
education badly enough to send them alone to live in town, or enough 
to break up the farm home to be with them, find when the high school 
course is finished that their children have been educated away from the 
farm, while the still larger number of parents who cannot meet the ex- 



COLORADO RURAL AND VILLAGE SCHOOLS 89 

penses, must see their children grow up to manliood and womanhood, 
many of them with less education than their parents who came to Colo- 
rado from good educational centers in other states. 

While all of these consolidated schools, except the one at Fort 
Lupton now have less than 3 50 school children, and are still districts 
of the third class, yet the consolidation supplied them with a sufficient 
number of children, and placed within their reach sufficient funds with 
which to build, equip, and maintain a good school. Besides, the school 
system in these districts does not come to a full and complete stop at 
the end of each nine months of school, as it does in most third class 
districts, to be commenced anew the following year, but several of the 
teachers are retained each year, and the system is much more con- 
tinuous than in the smaller schools. In this respect they resemble city 
schools. In every particular they give much better results for the money 
expended than do the ordinary small districts. Consolidation, where this 
is feasible and possible, is the best method of rural school improvement 
yet tried in Colorado. 



SUMMARY. 

This survey was in progress during the greater part of the past 
two years, but is now complete for each school district in the entire state. 
That part of it which relates to the third class districts has been de- 
scribed in the preceding pages. The tables, charts, maps, and statistics 
used were made up from an eight-year survey of the official records of 
each district, and the statements made have been based upon these facts. 
For the purpose of bringing these facts closer together, they are briefly 
summarized. 

It cost $13,019,95 9 to operate the schools in these districts. That 
amount was paid out during the eight years for buildings and mainten- 
ance. This seems like an enormous sum, and yet it would build and 
equip only one first-class battleship. It represents an annual expense 
of only $20 for each of the 82,174 children. When viewed in this light it 
becomes insignificant, especially when we remember that it covered prac- 
tically all the expense of public education in these districts. 

An average of 17,789 children lived in these districts each year of 
the eight who did not enroll in these schools at all. These were all of 
school age, and without sufficient education to prepare them for the 
active duties of life and for intelligent citizenship. This number was out 
of school all of the time. They did not enroll. This was largely because 
the school system in these 1,725 districts made no provision for their 
education after they had completed the eighth grade. This might not 
have been possible in many districts, but it is certain that it was both 
possible and feasible to establish country high schools for a large per 
cent of these children. 

The average enrollment was 64,385 and of this number 25,166 were 
absent on an average all of the time because of irregular attendance. 



90 COLORADO AGRWULrURAL COLLEGE 

There are few valid excuses for absence from school aside from sickness, 
either of the children or their parents. Colorado is known the world 
over for its bright, sunny days, pure air, and healthful climate. It was 
not caused by poverty, either on the part of the parents, or lack of funds 
by the districts, which raised but half of the funds allowed by law for 
■building and maintenance. These eight years were years of plenty for 
the farmers and stockmen of Colorado, and witnessed the greatest agri- 
cultural development of any like period in recent times. 

One of the most common causes of absence from school is failure 
'of the parents to appreciate the value of education enough to keep their 
children in school regularly. Had it not been for this large per cent of 
irregular attendance, many more would have completed the course. 
Still, it is difficult to tell whether the schools were inefficient because of 
poor attendance, or whether the attendance was irregular because the 
schools were poor. There is some connection between poor buildings, 
unattractive grounds, untrained and inexperienced teachers, lack of in- 
terest in the districts, and poor attendance on the part of the pupils. 
Until the system can be made to give better results than it did during 
these eight years, it is quite likely that some parents will be inclined to 
question whether or not it pays to keep their children in school regu- 
Tarly. Some justification for this view is found in the fact that 24,660 
of those who were in regular attendance did not complete the course in 
the eight years, during which time the great majority should have 
done so. 

Fourteen thousand, five hundred and fifty-nine, or twenty-two per 
cent of the enrollment, did graduate, and thus complete the course of- 
fered, and for this good work the schools should be given full credit, still 
it is well to point out the fact that most of these districts made no fur- 
ther provision for the education of these children after they had com- 
pleted the elementary course, when it was possible and feasible for many 
of them to have done so by the consolidation of a number of adjoining 
districts. In this way, country high schools could have been build up 
within easy daily reach of a large part of the school census. 

The average school year should have been longer, and the average 
salary for teachers should have been much higher in many districts and 
counties, but it has been shown that a majority of the children were 
found in those districts and counties in whicli the term of school was 
reasonably long and salaries comparatively high, and yet in spite of this 
fact most of these districts fell far below the standard of efficiency that 
should have been required of them. 

While the patrons could, and should, have been more liberal in pro- 
viding funds for buildings and for maintenance, still it can be said that 
the small district system is wasteful, and that it is difficult to spend 
money to the best advantage when building and employing on a small 
scale. The teaching body will first have to convince the farmer that in- 
creased efficiency will follow the expenditure of more money, before he 
will materially increase his taxes. This has not yet been done, and the 
fault is not all on the side of the taxpayer. 



COLORADO RURAL AND VILLAGE 8CH00L8 93 

The small district system is much better than none, yet it is also 
true that it is the least efficient now in general use. Some people still 
advocate this system, because they say it is democratic, that it keeps the 
power near the people, that local control, and a local board of three 
members tend to fix local responsibility, and develop and keep alive local 
interest in each district. To what extent this has been true in Colorado 
can be clearly seen from the records of the districts. Most of these 
counties had between twenty-five and one hundred districts, and three 
times as many directors as they had districts, yet in studying these countied 
there seems to be no increase in efficiency with the increase in the num- 
ber of districts, and the accompanying increase in school directors. There 
is good evidence that the reverse is true. The district system is a relic 
of pioneer days, and within recent years, at least, the governing motive 
in the formation of new districts is not the desire for more efficient 
schools, but the desire for independent control on the part of those who 
want to form a new district. Yuma county had eighty-seven districts 
and 261 school directors who employed but ninety teachers each year. 
This was one director for each eight children enrolled, and yet, in spite 
of the large number of districts, and the interest that is supposed to 
come from a large number of school officials, there were thirty-nine dis- 
tricts in this one county not one of which had an eighth grade graduate 
in eight years. The average number of graduates for all the districts of 
this county for the eight year period was but fifteen per cent of the en- 
rollment. In the same part of the state, under similar conditions of al- 
titude, climate, rainfall and occupation was another county in which 
twenty-five per cent of the enrollment graduated, and there were not 
one-ninth as many districts or directors as in Yuma county. This is not 
because of any difference in the directors of the two counties, but is due 
to the opportunities they had for making their schools efficient. 

Weld county had 107 districts and 321 directors, and yet less than 
one-third of the average enrollment completed the course in eight years. 
Las Animas county had seventy-six districts with 228 directors, with 
most of the children grouped in large numbers, and in districts with high 
valuations, and still but six per cent of the enrollment completed the 
course offered in the rural and village schools, and forty districts did 
not graduate a pupil. 

These sixty counties had 1,725 districts, with 5,175 directors, and 
still the schools were not efficient. The poor showing made by all these 
districts is largely due to the poor organization of the district system, 
the utter impossibility of getting a business administration, and the al- 
most total lack of any kind of supervision in any of these schools. 

There is a county superintendent in each county, but each must 
enter politics to gain the office, must play the game to retain it, with 
the result that often the more efficient the superintendent, the sooner 
and surer is re-election made impossible. They are poorer paid than is 
any other county official. The county clerk, assessor, treasurer, sheriff, 
and even the county coroners are not only paid higher salaries, but are 
supplied with deputies, clerks, stenographers, offices and equipment 



92 COLORADO AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE 

commensurate with the work they are expected to do, while most of the 
county superintendents of this state are required to do all of their own 
office work, without even a stenographer, are required to look after the 
educational interests of hundreds, and often of thousands of school chil- 
dren, attending schools scattered over counties, some of which are as 
large as some eastern states; they must visit these schools and actually 
do give them all the supervision they get; they are supposed to stand 
at the head of the school system of their respective counties, a position 
for the preparation of which they have spent years in school, getting 
their education and professional training, other years in getting experi- 
ence, and then not only receive a lower salary than other county officials, 
but in many cases less per month than some teachers in their rural 
schools whose certificates they do issue, and whose qualifications they 
must approve. This is why $13,019,959 were spent in all these districts 
in these eight years, not one dollar of which was spent for teaching in a 
school that was adequately supervised. These are some of the reasons 
why 49,82 6 school children failed to pass through the eight grades in 
the time allotted for that purpose, and by so doing receive the training 
required for an elementary education in the rural and village schools of 
Colorado. 

SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT. 

As far as time and opportunity would permit, all available informa- 
tion about each of these 1,725 third-class districts has been collected, 
tabulated and weighed in an effort to ascertain conditions and determine 
the efficiency of each individual unit, each county and the state as a 
whole. These facts have been given in the tables, charts, maps, pictures, 
and statistics used in this bulletin. They prove conclusively the ineffi- 
ciency of the district system. Some of the reasons, which in our opinion, 
help to account for the failure of the district to give better service have 
already been given, and in this, the concluding chapter, some suggestions 
will be offered by means of which many educators in this state believe 
that our rural schools could be made much more efficient than they have 
been, or now are. 

We have been temporizing, amending, and trying to improve the 
present system for years, and yet but little real improvement has been 
made in the system itself. This method of improvement does not offer 
much encouragement, and a complete reorganization of the entire system 
seems to be the best way to accomplisli the desired results. It is our 
deep conviction that a thorough reorganization of our rural and village 
school system is the most important educational problem in this state, 
and that this great work should receive first consideration at the hands 
of our state officials, the General Assembly, and those engaged in edu- 
cational work, at the hands of the people who live in cities as well as 
those who live in the country, and that the cam])aign should be continued 
until Colorado has an efficient and up-to-date system for these schools 
that is in keeping with the progress the state has made in most every- 
thing else. 



COLORADO RURAL AND VILLAGE SCHOOLS 93 

Leading educators all over the country agree that the best system 
now in use for schools, such as are maintained in our third class dis- 
tricts, is what is known as the "County Unit." A few states have had 
this system in use for many years and nine have it at the present time. 
It is found for the most part in the Southern States, where its great su- 
periority over the small district system has been so clearly demonstrated 
that several Northern states are now working for its adoption. Bills em- 
bodying the main features of this system have already been drawn, and 
will be introduced in the legislatures of these states the coming winter. 

Probably the best plan that has ever been worked out for a well- 
articulated system of public schools was drawn up by committees com- 
posed of some of the most prominent leaders in the field of rural educa- 
tion and adopted by the Southern Education Association and The Con- 
ference for Education in the South, at a joint meeting of the two organ- 
izations held in Louisville, Kentucky, in April, 1914. Thirty-five states 
were represented at this meeting by delegates, all of whom were inter- 
ested in rural education and all phases of rural life. This report, as far 
as it applies to elementary and secondary education, is here given just 
as it was drawn by the committees, and unanimously adopted by the two 
organizations named above. The proposed plan contains one thing which 
is applicable only to the Southern States — provision for a supervisor 
for Negro schools. This has been placed in parenthesis, and with this 
eliminated, the system fits the needs of all other parts of the country 
equally as well as it does the South. 

STATE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM. 
General Principles. 

First: The administration of the state school system should be rep- 
resentative and democratic — responsive to the deliberately expressed will 
of the people. 

Second: The administrative boards should possess stability sufficient 
to enable them to determine definite educational policies and authority 
enough to provide for the execution of these policies. Changes in the per- 
sonnel of the educational boards should be gradual, never revolutionary. 
The executive officer of a board should derive his authority from the 
board itself, not from any other source. 

Third: The state and county boards should be empowered to select 
experts as state and county school officials without limitation as to resi- 
dence; they should be in the position to assure them a reasonable per- 
manence in the tenure of position and adequate compensation for their 
services; they should have authority, through their executive officers, to 
organize effectively the public school system of the state. 

Fourth: The state as a whole should guarantee an educational op- 
portunity to all her children, regardless of the wealth or poverty of the 
particular county or district in which they live. 

Adntinistralioii. 

First: THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION. 

The administration of the state common-school system should be 
vested in a non-partisan state board of education, to be composed of not 
more than nine members, a majority of whom shall be educators, to be 



94 COLORADO AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE 

selected for terms of six years, these terms to be so arranged that not 
more than two expire in any one year. 

Second: THE STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF EDUCATION. 

The state superintendent of education should be" elected by the state 
board of education, who shall serve as its executive officer, for a term of 
four years, and his salary should be fixed by the board. 

In addition to an adequate office force, the state superintendent 
should have as many assistants as may be necessary for the effective ad- 
ministration and supervision of the schools. These assistants should be 
nominated by the state superintendent and confirmed by the state board. 
In the Southern States the corps should perhaps include: 

(a) A State Inspector of High Schools. 

(b) A State Supervisor of Elementary Schools. 
[(c) A State Supervisor of Negro Schools.] 

(d) A State Director of Elementary Agricultural Education. 

(e) A State Director of Homemaking Activities for Girls. 

(f) A State Board of Examiners for Teachers. 

Third: THE COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION. 

The administration of the county school system should be vested in 
a county board of education, consisting of not less than three nor more 
than nine members, elected by the people for terms of six years, these 
terms to be so arranged that not more than two expire in any one year. 

Fourth: THE COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT OF EDUCATION. 

The county superintendent of education should be elected by the 
county board and should serve as its executive officer for a term of four 
years. His salary should be fixed by this board. 

The county superintendent should have a corps of assistants commen- 
surate with the sciiool population of his county. These assistants should 
be nominated by the superintendent and confirmed by the county board. 
In the typical county the corps should include: 

(a) A county supervisory teacher for the elementary schools. 

[(b) A county supervisor of Negro schools.] 

(c) A county director of elementary agricultural education. 

(d) A county director of girls' home arts. 

Fifth: THE DISTRICT TRUSTEES. 

Each school district should have one to three trustees, appointed by 
the county board of education, to have charge of the school property and 
to serve in an advisory capacity to the county superintendent and the 
county board of education. 

Sixth: THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. 

The school district should be, in some instances, a municipality, 
which may or may not be independent of the county school authorities. 

Seventh: RURAL SCHOOLS. 

The rural schools should deserve especial emphasis. The state and 
county educational authorities should put forth special effort to make 
them efficient. The following standards are suggested: 

(a) Each rural school should own at least ten acres of land. 

(b) The school house should be put to the maximum use as a center 
of the community's life. 

(c) The school should own an adequate home for its principal. 

(d) The principal should be trained in agriculture. 

(e) Each school should have at least one teacher who has had a 
practical training in domestic science and household economics. 



COLORADO RURAL AND VILLAGE ySVHOOLS 95 

Financial Report. 

First- The state, the county and the school district should each sup- 
ply a proper quota of the funds for the maintenance of the schools. The 
state tax should be levied by the legislature, the county tax by the county 
board of education, and the district tax by a vote of its people. 

It may be readily seen from the outline given above, that only the 
broad general provisions for the organization, administration, supervision 
and support of a carefully balanced system are given. It was under- 
stood and agreed when this report was adopted that each state should 
work out the details and adapt the system to best meet its own condi- 
tions and needs. This report was considered by the Educational Coun- 
cil of the Colorado Teachers' Association, at a special meeting called 
for that purpose on :\Iay 16th last. It was the sense of that body that 
this report embodies within its provisions the most mature thought 
and the practical experience of many leading educators in this field of 
education, and that it expresses the soundest principles and the greatest 
wisdom of any system yet proposed for the organization, administration 
and supervision of rural schools. 

Extended comment upon the provisions of the report are impossible 
for lack of space, besides they are unnecessary at this time. 

This scheme provides for all of the things found lacking in our 
present system. It recommends that ten acres of land be a part of the 
possessions of each school, to give room for all forms of play and serve 
as school farm. It recommends a comfortable home for the teacher on 
the school premises and as a part of the school plant, thus providing 
for permanent residence for the teacher within the district, at least dur- 
ing the school year, and encouraging longer tenure of position. It sug- 
gests a modern school building, since this would be necessary for school 
entertainments, lecture-courses and other social center work in which the 
entire community should take part. It recommends that agriculture and 
household arts be given a prominent part in the course of study, and that 
teachers be secured who have had training in these lines of work. It 
provides for a scheme of organization in which each school, no matter 
where it is located, will be a part of a strong and well articulated 
county system, all under the management of one board elected by the 
people themselves. This county system in turn is a part of a state 
system under the management of a State Board of Education and under 
the guidance and direction of a state superintendent and a corps of 
supervisors adequate to organize and superintend the work throughout 
the state. 

The county board of education would, and should have the powers 
and perform the duties that are now possessed and performed by school 
boards in our districts of the first class, which is one of the best school 
organizations in use in any state. This county board would employ 
the county superintendent for four years, thus taking this important 
office out of politics and providing a salary commensurate with train- 
ing and experience required and the work to be done, and making it 
possible to get and to keep the best available persons for this position. 



96 COLORADO AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE 

The proposed system provides for a corps of county supervisors to 
adequately supervise all the schools in the county, so that the best 
methods can be introduced, the work organized, systematized, and each 
teacher could teach under expert supervision and guidance, which has 
long been done in all of our best city schools, but which has always 
been lacking in these country schools. The system could be so ad- 
justed that taxes would be uniform throughout the entire county organ- 
ization up to the point of maintaining a uniform minimum standard for 
all rural and village schools, and if any community wished to have a 
better school than this minimum standard, it could be permitted to tax 
itself in addition to the county tax for that purpose. The idea being to 
require a reasonably high standard for all schools, and still not pre- 
vent any community from making their school as much better than this 
as they might desire. Of course, it is understood that districts of the 
first class, and probably those of the second, would not be required to 
become a part of this county system, but could be given the opportunity 
to do so if they wished. 

These are some of the things which seem most necessary to make 
our schools efficient, and while the system here offered could not all 
be put into operation in Colorado without a constitutional amendment, 
still most of it could be adopted by legislative action. The manner of 
electing the state and county superintendents would require a constitu- 
tional amendment, but this would not need to delay the adoption of all 
the rest of the system after it had been adapted to meet our needs and 
conditions. 

We are still operating our rural schools under the same system that 
was adopted when Colorado was a territory. When our territorial gov- 
ernment was organized this system was adopted from the laws of an 
adjoining state, which in turn had borrowed it from one still farther 
east. Thus we could trace it back from state to state, to Massachusetts 
where it had its beginning more than one hundred years ago. This 
primitive organization, which was made to meet pioneer conditions, still 
persist amidst all our Twentieth Century advancement and i)rogress 
with less change than any other of our American institutions. 

The rural school is sadly lacking in building, grounds, and equip- 
ment. Its organization is weak and ineffective. Its administration is 
unbusinesslike and wasteful of money, time, effort and the opportunities 
of children. It is wholly lacking in effective supervision. The separate 
unit of organization tends to prevent helpful co-operation which Is the 
key to the solution of many rural problems, and while many noble men 
and women have begun their education in the rural schools, overcome 
its difficulties and some of them have later risen to the highest positions 
of honor and service, yet for each of those who have attained success, 
there were scores of others equally able and deserving, who might have 
added as much to the state and nation had our rural schools done for 
them what they might and should have done. The thought of nearly 
.50,000 children failing to pass the eighth grades in the eight years set 
aside for that purpose, and of being compelled to enter the state of 



COLORADO RURAL AND VILLAGE SC II OOLK 97 

manhood and womanhood, without even an elementary education, is 
appalling. 

Education is not a local matter, but is of the most vital concern to 
both the state and the nation. Education tends to guarantee the sov- 
ereignty of the state, while ignorance is the greatest enemy of any 
people. If this view is correct, then the education of one child is as 
much the duty of the state as the education of another, and neither dis- 
trict boundaries nor county lines should be permitted to limit and re- 
strict the opportunities of children for the freest and fullest develop- 
ment for which they have capacity. "That there should one man die 
ignorant who had capacity for knowledge, this I call tragedy," are the 
words of Carlyle, and the truth of the statement has not been dimmed 
by the lapse of years. 

Some people may hastily conclude from the figures given and the 
statements made, that the farmer and all others who live in these dis- 
tricts are wholly to blame for the conditions described, but this is not 
our belief. In some respects these people are to be blamed but -little 
more for the backward condition of their schools, tha,n are city people 
to be praised for the efficiency of theirs. The city dweller doop not 
make his school good, but as far as this is done, it is done by .skilled 
and experienced superintendents and trained teachers, and the greatest 
contribution of the city patron to this end lies in his willingaess to 
pay the bills and in permitting those who have made education their busi- 
ness to do the work. It is not hard to get people to support their schools 
when they are reasonably sure that the money will be well spent and 
the results will be satisfactory. The farmer did ,not make his school 
system, and he is unable of his own accord to reorganize it. If the 
farmer succeeds in his farm operations, in providing a home and in 
raising his family, he is doing all that should be expected of him, and 
all that is expected of people in other lines of work. He is not an 
educator and does not claim to be. His work takes all of his time and 
all of his energy, and anyway it is not in his line of work, nor is it his 
duty either to make or re-organize school systems. It is the business of 
those who are engaged in educational work and of those who profess to 
be educators. So, it is our belief that the present inefficiency of these 
schools is not so much the fault of the farmer as it is of those whom 
he pays for this work and to whom he has entrusted the education of 
his children. The farmers of Colorado will cast their votes for a re- 
organization of their schools and will tax themselves higher for their 
support, when the teachers of Colorado, the county and city superin- 
tendents, all those connected with the state institutions of higher learn- 
ing, and all those engaged in educational work shall have given these 
farmers reasonable assurance that it will be to their advantage and 
that of their children to do so. They are not likely to do it on a large 
scale until this has been done. 

If education is not a local matter, if happiness and success in life 
depend upon the possession of knowledge, and of wisdom which is the 
result of training and experience; and if the success of a free govern- 
ment depends upon the intelligence of its citizens, there is no one who 



98 COLORADO AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE 

has had a better chance to know and understand this than those who 
make a business of education. They have viewed both the past and the 
present from the mountain-tops of opportunity. They are in possession 
of that knowledge, skill and power which are the priceless boon of 
education. It is their business to make or re-make school systems. If 
the educators of Colorado, who are in possession of the blessings that 
education is supposed to give and who know aad understand the 
blighting curse of ignorance, are not moved to action by the fact that 
more than three-fourths of the children who are entrusted to their care 
for education, do not get an elementary education in the time which 
they themselves have allowed for that purpose, and according to stand- 
ards which they themselves have fixed, the blame for this does not all 
rest with the farmer. If conditions in these schools are half as bad 
as the figures seem to show they are, and if all those engaged In edu- 
cational work, from the country teacher to the professors in our col- 
leges and university are not willing to organize a,nd co-operate in a 
supreme effort to devise a better and more efficient system than we 
now hnve, and then go before the people in all these districts in an 
honest effort to tell them the facts about their schools and show them 
a way by which they can be greatly improved; if they do not do this, 
they are recreant to their trust and are lacking in the true missionary 
spirit; they are missing the grandest opportunity yet placed before them 
to extend a helping hand to their fellow ma,n and lead in the movement 
for better education for the country children, and thereby render the 
highest service to the community, the state, and the nation. 



TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN. 

Who Is Coiiceined in tlie Kuial School Problem? 

Life depends upon what man gets out of the earth. 

A nation is happy and prosperous in proportions as it applies intel- 
ligence^ industry and wisdom in the extraction and use of the earth's 
resources. 

Schools exist to increase intelligence, to stimulate industry, and to 
apply wisdom. 

The basis of our national life is agriculture. 

The Rural School is nearest agriculture. 

Through it intelligence concerning agriculture is to be increased, 
industry in agriculture stimulated, and wisdom in rural living applied. 

How about the Rural School? 

It is poorly housed; it is meanly equipped; it is weakly taught; it 
is miserly supported. 



COLORADO RIRAL AM) VlLljAdK SCHOOJ.S 99 

It has the shortest term; it has the most irregular attendance; 
the school life of its pupils ends earliest. 

If, then, our national prosperity depends upon agriculture; if the 
product of agriculture depends upon the intelligence, industry and 
wisdom of the tillers of the soil; if that intelligence, industry and wis- 
dom depend largely upon the Rural School, AND IF the Rural School is 
weak and inert; WHOM DOES IT CONCERN? 

D. R. HATCH, 
Editor Colorado School Journal. 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



021 731 



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